Anthe (moon) facts for kids
| Anthe | |
|---|---|
| Discovery | |
| Discovered by | Cassini Imaging Science Team |
| Discovered on | 30 May 2007 |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| Semi-major axis | 197,700 km |
| Eccentricity | 0.001 |
| Orbital period | 1.03650 d |
| Inclination (to Saturn's equator) |
0.1° |
| Is a moon of | Saturn |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Mean diameter | ≈ 2 km |
| Mean density | unknown |
| Surface gravity | unknown |
| Rotation period | assumed synchronous |
| Axial tilt | unknown |
| Albedo | unknown |
| Atmosphere | none |
Anthe is a very tiny moon that orbits the planet Saturn. It is located between the paths of two other moons, Mimas and Enceladus. Anthe is also known by its scientific name, Saturn XLIX, and was first called S/2007 S 4 when it was discovered.
The name Anthe comes from Greek mythology. It means flowery and refers to one of the Alkyonides, who were daughters of the giant Alkyoneus.
Discovering Anthe
Anthe was found by the Cassini Imaging Team. They discovered it in pictures taken on May 30, 2007. After they first spotted it, scientists looked through older images from the Cassini spacecraft. They found this small moon in pictures taken as far back as June 2004. The discovery of Anthe was officially announced on July 18, 2007.
Anthe's Orbit Around Saturn
Anthe is a very small moon, only about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) wide. It travels around Saturn in an orbit that is almost perfectly round. It takes Anthe about 1.03650 Earth days to complete one trip around Saturn. This means it orbits Saturn slightly faster than Earth spins on its axis!
Because Anthe is so small, scientists believe it is likely tidally locked with Saturn. This means that one side of Anthe always faces Saturn, just like our Moon always shows the same side to Earth.
Images for kids
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Discovery images of Anthe
See also
In Spanish: Antea (satélite) para niños
