Anthe (moon)

Anthe
Discovery
Anthe is the bright dot in the center
Discovered by	Cassini Imaging Team ^[1]
Discovery date	May 30, 2007
Orbital characteristics ^[2]
Semi-major axis	197,700 km
Eccentricity	0.001
Orbital period	1.03650 d
Inclination	0.1° to Saturn's equator
Satellite of	Saturn
Physical characteristics
Dimensions	2 km ^[3]
Mass	5×10¹² kg^{[lower-alpha 1]}
Rotation period	assumed synchronous

Anthe (/ˈænθiː/ AN-thee;^{[lower-alpha 2]} Greek: Άνθη) is a very small natural satellite of Saturn lying between the orbits of Mimas and Enceladus. It is also known as Saturn XLIX; its provisional designation was S/2007 S 4. It is named after one of the Alkyonides; the name means flowery. It is the sixtieth confirmed moon of Saturn.^[4]

It was discovered by the Cassini Imaging Team^[1] in images taken on 30 May 2007.^[2] Once the discovery was made, a search of older Cassini images revealed it in observations from as far back as June 2004. It was first announced on 18 July 2007.^[2]

Discovery images of Anthe

Anthe is visibly affected by a perturbing 10:11 mean-longitude resonance with the much larger Mimas. This causes its osculating orbital elements to vary with an amplitude of about 20 km in semi-major axis on a timescale of about 2 Earth years. The close proximity to the orbits of Pallene and Methone suggests that these moons may form a dynamical family.

Material blasted off Anthe by micrometeoroid impacts is thought to be the source of the Anthe Ring Arc, a faint partial ring about Saturn co-orbital with the moon first detected in June 2007.^[5]^[6]

References

Explanatory

↑ Assumed density of 1.2 g/cm³
↑ This name is too new to appear in dictionaries, but the OED has the analogous rhodanthe /roʊˈdænθiː/.

Citations

Sources

"Cassini Imaging Science Team". Cassini Imaging Central Laboratory for OPerationS. Retrieved 2012-01-01.
Agle, D. C. (July 19, 2007). "Saturn Turns 60". Cassini Solstice Mission. JPL/NASA. Retrieved 2012-01-01.
Green, Daniel W. E. (July 18, 2007). "S/ 2007 S 4". IAU Circular. 8857. Retrieved 2012-01-01.
Hedman, M. M.; Murray, C. D.; Cooper, N. J.; Tiscareno, M. S.; Beurle, K.; Evans, M. W.; Burns, J. A. (2008-11-25). "Three tenuous rings/arcs for three tiny moons". Icarus. 199 (2): 378–386. Bibcode:2009Icar..199..378H. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2008.11.001. ISSN 0019-1035.
Porco C. C., et al. (2008-09-05). "More Ring Arcs for Saturn". Cassini Imaging Central Laboratory for Operations web site. Retrieved 2008-09-05. External link in |work= (help)

External links

Media related to Anthe at Wikimedia Commons

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From Dark Obscurity... A Tiny New Saturnian Moon Comes To Light

Moons of Saturn

Temporary names in italics.

Ring shepherds	S/2009 S 1 Propeller moonlets Pan Daphnis Atlas Prometheus ?(S/2004 S 6 S/2004 S 4 S/2004 S 3) Pandora

Co-orbitals	Epimetheus Janus

G Ring	Aegaeon

Mimas and Alkyonides	Mimas Methone Anthe Pallene

Inner large (with trojans)	Enceladus Tethys Telesto Calypso Dione Helene Polydeuces

Outer large	Rhea Titan Hyperion Iapetus

Inuit group	Kiviuq Ijiraq Paaliaq Siarnaq Tarqeq

Gallic group	Albiorix Bebhionn Erriapus Tarvos

Norse group	Phoebe Skathi S/2007 S 2 Skoll S/2004 S 13 Greip Hyrrokkin Mundilfari Jarnsaxa S/2006 S 1 S/2004 S 17 Narvi Bergelmir Aegir Suttungr S/2004 S 12 Bestla Farbauti Hati S/2004 S 7 Thrymr S/2007 S 3 S/2006 S 3 Surtur Kari Fenrir Ymir Loge Fornjot

Rings of Saturn Cassini–Huygens Themis Chiron In fiction

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