Fornjot (moon)

Fornjot, or Saturn XLII (provisional designation S/2004 S 8), is a natural satellite of Saturn. Its discovery was announced by Scott S. Sheppard, David C. Jewitt, Jan Kleyna, and Brian G. Marsden on May 4, 2005 from observations taken between December 12, 2004 and March 11, 2005.

It is about 6 kilometres in diameter, and orbits Saturn at an average distance of 23,609 Mm in 1354 d at an inclination of 168° to the ecliptic (160° to Saturn's equator) in a retrograde direction and with an eccentricity of 0.186.

Fornjot was named after Fornjót, a giant in Norse mythology.

References

• Institute for Astronomy Saturn Satellite Data
• Jewitt's New Satellites of Saturn page
• IAUC 8523: New Satellites of Saturn May 4 2005 (discovery)
• MPEC 2005-J13: Twelve New Satellites of Saturn May 3, 2005 (discovery and ephemeris)
• IAUC 8826: Satellites of Jupiter and Saturn April 5, 2007 (naming the moon)