S/2004 S 7 facts for kids
S/2004 S 7 is one of the many unnamed moons that orbit the planet Saturn. It is a small, icy body that was found by scientists using powerful telescopes.
Discovering S/2004 S 7
This moon was first spotted by a team of astronomers. The team included Scott S. Sheppard, David C. Jewitt, Jan Kleyna, and Brian G. Marsden. They announced their discovery on May 4, 2005.
The observations that led to finding S/2004 S 7 were made over several months. Scientists looked at the sky between December 12, 2004, and March 8, 2005. This careful work helped them confirm the moon's existence.
About S/2004 S 7's Orbit
S/2004 S 7 is a relatively small moon. It is estimated to be about 6 kilometers (about 3.7 miles) across. This is roughly the size of a small town.
It travels around Saturn at a very far distance. Its average distance from Saturn is about 20,577,000 kilometers (about 12.8 million miles). One full trip around Saturn takes this moon a very long time. It completes an orbit in about 1102 days, which is a little over three years.
The moon's orbit is also quite tilted. Its inclination is 166 degrees compared to Saturn's equator. This means it orbits Saturn in a direction opposite to most of Saturn's other moons. This type of orbit is called a "retrograde" orbit. The moon's path is also not a perfect circle. It has an eccentricity of 0.554, meaning its orbit is quite stretched out, like an oval.
