Suttungr (moon) facts for kids
Discovery images of Suttungr (circled) taken by the CFHT in September 2000
|
|
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovery date | 2000 |
| Designations | |
| MPC designation | Saturn XXIII |
|
Named after
|
Suttungr |
| S/2000 S 12 | |
| Adjectives | Suttung Suttungian |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| 19459000 km | |
| Eccentricity | 0.114 |
| −1016.7 days | |
| Inclination | 175.8° |
| Satellite of | Saturn |
| Physical characteristics | |
|
Mean diameter
|
7+50% −30% km |
| 7.67±0.02 h | |
| Albedo | 0.06 (assumed) |
|
Spectral type
|
C |
| 23.9 | |
| 14.5 | |
Suttungr, also known as Saturn XXIII, is one of the many natural moons orbiting the giant planet Saturn. Scientists first found this moon in the year 2000. It was given the temporary name S/2000 S 12 during its discovery.
This moon is named after Suttungr, a powerful giant from old Norse mythology. In these ancient stories, Suttungr was known for owning a special magical drink called the "mead of poetry." This drink was believed to give wisdom and poetic skill to anyone who drank it.
Contents
Exploring Suttungr: Saturn's Distant Moon
Suttungr is a fascinating small moon. It helps us understand more about Saturn's complex system of satellites. Its unique features make it an interesting object for astronomers to study.
Discovery and Naming of Suttungr
A team of astronomers, led by Brett J. Gladman, discovered Suttungr in 2000. When they first found it, they gave it a temporary code name, S/2000 S 12. This is a common practice for newly found space objects.
Later, the moon received its official name, Suttungr. The name comes from the rich tales of Norse mythology. Suttungr was a giant who guarded a special drink. This drink was said to give great wisdom and the gift of poetry.
The name was first announced as "Suttung." However, the IAU, which is the group responsible for naming celestial objects, later decided to add the "-r" to the end. This made the official name "Suttungr."
Suttungr's Unique Orbit Around Saturn
Suttungr is a small moon, measuring about 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) across. It travels very far from Saturn. Its average distance from the planet is about 19,667,000 kilometers (12,217,000 miles).
One full trip around Saturn takes Suttungr about 1030 days. This is almost three Earth years! Suttungr has a special kind of path called a "retrograde" orbit. This means it moves around Saturn in the opposite direction compared to most other moons.
Its orbital path is also quite tilted. This tilt is called its "inclination." The orbit is not a perfect circle either. It is a bit oval-shaped, which scientists call its "eccentricity." Some scientists believe Suttungr might be a piece that broke off from another moon, Phoebe, long ago.
What Suttungr Looks Like and Its Neighbors
Suttungr spins quite quickly. It completes one full rotation in about 7.67 hours. This is much faster than Earth's 24-hour day.
The moon has a gray color. This color is similar to another moon of Saturn named Thrymr. Because Suttungr and Thrymr share similar colors and orbital paths, they might belong to the same "family" of moons. This suggests they could have formed from the same larger object that broke apart a very long time ago.
See also
In Spanish: Suttungr (satélite) para niños
