Mundilfari (moon)
Appearance
![]() Discovery images of Mundilfari (circled) taken by the CFHT in September 2000 | |
Discovery | |
---|---|
Discovered by | Gladman et al. |
Discovery date | 2000 |
Designations | |
Designation | Saturn XXV |
Pronunciation | Icelandic: [ˈmʏntɪlvarɪ][1] |
Named after | Mundilfari |
S/2000 S 9 | |
Orbital characteristics [2] | |
18685000 km (18360000 km[3]) | |
Eccentricity | 0.210 (0.198[3]) |
−952.6 days (−928.8 days[3]) | |
Inclination | 167.3° (150°[3]) |
Satellite of | Saturn |
Group | Norse group |
Physical characteristics | |
7+50% −30% km[3] | |
6.74±0.08 hours[3] | |
23.8[2] | |
Mundilfari, or Saturn XXV, is a natural satellite of Saturn. It was discovered by Brett J. Gladman, et al. in 2000, and given the temporary designation S/2000 S 9. Mundilfari is about 7 kilometres in diameter, and orbits Saturn at an average distance of 18,360 Mm in 928.806 days, at an inclination of 170° to the ecliptic (150° to Saturn's equator), in a retrograde direction and with an eccentricity of 0.198. Its rotation period is 6.74±0.08 hours.[3]
Mundilfari may have formed from debris knocked off Phoebe by large impacts at some point in the Solar System's history.
It was named in August 2003 from Norse mythology, where Mundilfari is the father of the goddess Sól (Sun) and the god Mani (Moon).
References
- ^ The name is also found as Mundilföri ~ Mundilfœri. This would correspond to modern Icelandic Mundilfæri [ˈmʏntɪlvairɪ].
- ^ a b S.S. Sheppard (2019), Moons of Saturn, Carnegie Science, on line
- ^ a b c d e f g Denk, T.; Mottola, S. (2019). Cassini Observations of Saturn's Irregular Moons (PDF). 50th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference. Lunar and Planetary Institute.
- IAUC 7538: S/2000 S 7, S/2000 S 8, S/2000 S 9 December 7, 2000 (discovery)
- MPEC 2000-Y15: S/2000 S 1, S/2000 S 2, S/2000 S 7, S/2000 S 8, S/2000 S 9 December 19, 2000 (discovery and ephemeris)
- IAUC 8177: Satellites of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus August 8, 2003 (naming the moon)