Tarqeq (moon) facts for kids
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Scott S. Sheppard David C. Jewitt Jan Kleyna Brian G. Marsden |
| Discovery date | 13 April 2007 |
| Designations | |
| MPC designation | Saturn LII |
|
Named after
|
Tarqiup Inua |
| S/2007 S 1 | |
| Adjectives | Tarqiupian, Tarqeqian |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| Epoch 2007 Apr. 10.0 | |
| 17.9106 Gm | |
| Eccentricity | 0.1081 |
| 894.86 d | |
| Inclination | 49.90° |
| Satellite of | Saturn |
| Physical characteristics | |
|
Mean diameter
|
6+50% −30% km |
| 76.13±0.01 h | |
Tarqeq is a small natural satellite (or moon) that orbits the planet Saturn. It is also known as Saturn LII. Scientists first spotted Tarqeq in images taken between January 2006 and March 2007. Its discovery was officially announced on April 13, 2007.
The team of astronomers who found Tarqeq included Scott S. Sheppard, David C. Jewitt, Jan Kleyna, and Brian G. Marsden. Tarqeq is one of Saturn's many moons and is part of a group called the Inuit group.
Contents
Meet Tarqeq: Saturn's Icy Moon
Tarqeq is a very small moon, only about 7 kilometers (about 4.3 miles) wide. This makes it much smaller than Earth's Moon, which is about 3,474 kilometers wide. Because it is so small, Tarqeq is not shaped like a perfect ball. Instead, it has an irregular, lumpy shape.
Tarqeq is a member of the Inuit group of moons. These moons are thought to have formed from a larger body that broke apart a long time ago. They all share similar orbits around Saturn.
Tarqeq's Journey Around Saturn
Tarqeq travels around Saturn in a path that takes a long time to complete. Its average distance from Saturn is about 17,910,000 kilometers (about 11.1 million miles). To give you an idea, that's more than 46 times the distance from Earth to our Moon!
- Orbital Period: Tarqeq takes about 894.86 Earth days to make one full trip around Saturn. That's almost two and a half Earth years!
- Orbital Tilt: Tarqeq's orbit is tilted quite a bit compared to Saturn's equator. This tilt, called its orbital inclination, is about 49.90 degrees.
- Orbital Shape: The path Tarqeq takes around Saturn is not a perfect circle. It's slightly stretched out, like an oval. This stretch is called its orbital eccentricity, and for Tarqeq, it's 0.1081. A value of 0 would be a perfect circle.
How Tarqeq Got Its Name
Like many moons in our solar system, Tarqeq was named after a figure from mythology. It is named after Tarqeq, who is the Inuit moon god. The Inuit people are a group of indigenous people who live in the Arctic regions of Canada, Greenland, and Alaska.
See also
- Tarqeq (satélite) para niños (in Spanish)
