Jarnsaxa (moon)

Jarnsaxa
Discovery
Discovered byScott S. Sheppard
David C. Jewitt
Jan T. Kleyna
Brian G. Marsden
Discovery dateJune 26, 2006
Designations
Designation
Saturn L
Named after
Járnsaxa
S/2006 S 6
Orbital characteristics[1]
18811000 km
Eccentricity0.216
−964.7 days
Inclination163.3°
Satellite ofSaturn
GroupNorse group
Physical characteristics[2]
4 km
Albedo0.06 (assumed)
24.7
15.6

Jarnsaxa (/jɑːrnˈsæksə/), also known as Saturn L (provisional designation S/2006 S 6), is a natural satellite of Saturn. Its discovery was announced by Scott S. Sheppard, David C. Jewitt, Jan Kleyna, and Brian G. Marsden on June 26, 2006, from observations taken between January 5 and April 29, 2006.

Jarnsaxa is about 4 kilometres in diameter, and orbits Saturn at an average distance of 18,556.9 Mm in 943.784 days, at an inclination of 162.9° to the ecliptic (164.1° to Saturn's equator), in a retrograde direction and with an eccentricity of 0.1918. It is a member of the Norse group of irregular satellites.

It is named after Járnsaxa, a giantess in Norse mythology.

  1. ^ S.S. Sheppard (2019), Moons of Saturn, Carnegie Science, on line
  2. ^ Denk, Tilmann; Mottola, Stefano; Tosi, Frederico; Bottke, William F.; Hamilton, Douglas P. (2018). "The Irregular Satellites of Saturn" (PDF). In Schenk, P.M.; Clark, R.N.; Howett, C.J.A.; Verbiscer, A.J.; Waite, J.H. (eds.). Enceladus and the Icy Moons of Saturn. Space Science Series. Vol. 322. Tucson, AZ: The University of Arizona Press. pp. 409–434. Bibcode:2018eims.book..409D. doi:10.2458/azu_uapress_9780816537075-ch020. ISBN 9780816537075.