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Skathi

File:Skathi-discovery-CFHT.gif · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

EntityQ17982· pop 45· linked from 124 articles

Also known as Skadi, Saturn XXVII, S/2000 S 8

moon of Saturn

Key facts

Discovered by
Brett J. Gladman , John J. Kavelaars et al.
Discovery site
Mauna Kea Observatory
Discovery date
September 23, 2000
Designation
Saturn XXVII
Pronunciation
/ ˈ s k ɑː ð i / (with the PASTA vowel)
Named after
Skaði
Alternative names
S/2000 S 8
Semi major axis
15 541 000 km
Orbital period sidereal
−728.2 days
Inclination
152.6°
Satellite of
Saturn
Group
Norse group
Mean diameter
8 +50%, −30% km
Synodic rotation period
11.10 ± 0.02 h
Albedo
0.06 (assumed)

via Wikipedia infobox

~8 min read

Encyclopedic overview

Skathi, also named Saturn XXVII and originally spelled Skadi, is a natural satellite of the planet Saturn. Skathi is one of Saturn's irregular moons, in its Norse group of satellites. It was discovered on September 23, 2000, by a team of astronomers led by Brett Gladman. The team announced their discovery on December 7, 2000, along with seven other satellites of Saturn, namely; Tarvos, Ijiraq, Thrymr, Siarnaq, Mundilfari, Erriapus, and Suttungr. The moon was named after Skaði, a figure in Norse mythology, as part of an effort to diversify the largely Greek and Roman names of astronomical objects.

Skathi takes just over 725 days to complete an orbit of Saturn and it is estimated to take 11.10±0.02 hours to rotate on its axis. It orbits at a greater distance from Saturn than many of the planet's other satellites, with a large orbital inclination and eccentricity, and it moves in a retrograde direction. Not much is known about Skathi, because it is a dim object. Other than Earth-based observations, it has only been observed by the Cassini probe, and even those measurements were taken at a distance of nearly 9.7 million kilometres (6 million miles).

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Skathi” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

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