S/2006 S 20 is a natural satellite of Saturn. Its discovery was announced by Scott S. Sheppard, Brett J. Gladman, Edward Ashton, David C. Jewitt and Jan Kleyna on May 23, 2023 from observations taken between January 5, 2006 and July 9, 2021.[2]
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Scott S. Sheppard, David C. Jewitt, Jan Kleyna, Brett J. Gladman |
| Discovery date | 2006 |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| 13,193,800 km (8,198,200 mi)[1] | |
| Eccentricity | 0.206 |
| -1.553 yrs (567.27 d)[1] | |
| Inclination | 173.1° (to the ecliptic) |
| Satellite of | Saturn |
| Group | Norse group (Phoebe) |
| Physical characteristics | |
| 5 km | |
| 15.7 | |
S/2006 S 20 is about 5 kilometers in diameter, and orbits Saturn at an average distance of 13.193 Gm in 563.89 days, at an inclination of 174.9°, in a retrograde direction and with an eccentricity of 0.206.[2] S/2006 S 20 belongs to the Norse group and it could possibly be a Phoebe subgroup member like S/2006 S 9. S/2006 S 20 is likely to be a fragment piece that split off of Phoebe from a collision with an asteroid or another moon.[3]
References
edit- ^ a b c "Planetary Satellite Mean Elements". Jet Propulsion Laboratory. California Institute of Technology. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
- ^ a b c "MPEC 2023-K118 : S/2006 S 20". Minor Planet Electronic Circular. Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 23 May 2023.
- ^ "S/2006 S 20 – Tilmann Denk". Retrieved 2024-01-19.