Polydeuces (moon)
Trojan moon of Saturn / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Polydeuces /ˌpɒlɪˈdjuːsiːz/, also designated Saturn XXXIV, is a small trojan moon of Saturn occupying the trailing L5 Lagrange point of Dione. It was discovered by the Cassini Imaging Science Team in images taken by the Cassini space probe on 21 October 2004. With a mean diameter of about 3 km (1.9 mi), Polydeuces is thought to have a smooth surface coated with fine, icy particles accumulated from the cryovolcanic plumes of Enceladus. In its orbit around Saturn, Polydeuces periodically drifts away from Dione's Lagrange point due to gravitational perturbations by other nearby moons of Saturn. Of the four known trojan moons of Saturn, Polydeuces exhibits the largest displacement from its Lagrange point.
Discovery[1][2] | |
---|---|
Discovered by | Cassini Imaging Science Team[lower-alpha 1] |
Discovery date | 21 October 2004 (date of discovery images)[4]: 223 |
Designations | |
Designation | Saturn XXXIV |
Pronunciation | /ˌpɒlɪˈdjuːsiːz/[5] |
Named after | Πολυδεύκης Polydeykēs |
S/2004 S 5 | |
Adjectives | Polydeucean /ˌpɒlɪdjuːˈsiːən/[6] Polydeucian /ˌpɒlɪˈdjuːsiən/[7] |
Orbital characteristics [8][9]: 9 | |
Epoch 1 January 2000 12:00 UT (JD 2451545.0) | |
Earliest precovery date | 2 April 2004[10]: 695, 702 [11]: 261 |
377600 km | |
Eccentricity | 0.019 |
2.736916 d[8] | |
Average orbital speed | 10.03 km/s[12]: 2 |
Inclination | 0.2°[lower-alpha 2] |
Satellite of | Saturn |
Group | L5 Dione trojan |
Physical characteristics | |
Dimensions | 3.50 × 3.10 × 2.62 km (± 0.40 × 0.40 × 0.40 km)[13]: 7 |
Mean diameter | 3.06±0.40 km[13]: 7 |
Volume | 15 km3[lower-alpha 3] |
Mass | ≈ 8×1012 kg (assumed; unmeasured)[lower-alpha 4] |
Mean density | ≈ 0.5 g/cm3 (assumed; unmeasured)[14][15]: 3 [12]: 2 |
≈ 0.0002 m/s2 at longest axis to ≈ 0.0003 m/s2 at poles[lower-alpha 5] | |
≈ 0.0008 km/s at longest axis to ≈ 0.0009 km/s at poles[lower-alpha 6] | |
assumed synchronous[12]: 4 | |