Polydeuces (moon) facts for kids
Polydeuces is a tiny moon that orbits the giant planet Saturn. It's so small, it's only about 3.5 km wide! What makes Polydeuces special is that it shares its path around Saturn with a much bigger moon named Dione.
Contents
Polydeuces: Saturn's Tiny Companion
Polydeuces is one of the many natural satellites that circle Saturn. Think of it like a small rock that follows Saturn on its journey through space. Even though it's tiny, it's an important part of Saturn's amazing moon system.
Sharing an Orbit with Dione
Polydeuces has a very interesting orbit. It doesn't just orbit Saturn on its own. Instead, it follows a larger moon called Dione. Polydeuces is known as a "Trojan moon" because it stays in a special, stable spot along Dione's orbit. It's like a small car following a big truck on the same highway!
How Polydeuces Was Discovered
Scientists discovered Polydeuces in 2004. It was found by the Cassini Imaging Science Team. This team used images taken by the Cassini spacecraft, which was exploring Saturn and its moons. Finding such a small moon from so far away was an amazing achievement!
Images for kids
-
Animation of Polydeuces's orbit relative to Saturn and Dione Polydeuces · Helene · Dione · Saturn
