Janus (moon)

Janus
Janus as imaged by Cassini on 7 April 2010: highest-resolution full-disk image to date
Discovery
Discovered byAudouin Dollfus
Discovery date15 December 1966
Designations
Designation
Saturn X
Pronunciation/ˈnəs/[1]
Named after
Jānus
AdjectivesJanian /ˈniən/[2][3]
Orbital characteristics[4]
Epoch 31 December 2003 (JD 2 453 005.5)
151460±10 km
Eccentricity0.0068
0.694660342 d
Inclination0.163°±0.004° to Saturn's equator
Satellite ofSaturn
GroupCo-orbital with Epimetheus
Physical characteristics
Dimensions203.4 × 185.8 × 149.0 km
(± 1.8 × 0.6 × 0.6 km)[5]: 2 
178.0±1.0 km[5]: 2 
Volume2953010±950 km3[6]: 4 
Mass(1.89388±0.00028)×1018 kg[a]
Mean density
0.6413±0.0002 g/cm3[6]: 4 
0.0111–0.0169 m/s2[5]: 3 
0.05 km/s at longest axis
to 0.058 km/s at poles
synchronous
zero
Albedo0.71±0.02 (geometric) [7]
Temperature76 K

Janus /ˈnəs/ is an inner satellite of Saturn. It is also known as Saturn X. It is named after the mythological Janus. This natural satellite was first identified by Audouin Dollfus on December 15, 1966, although it had been unknowingly photographed earlier by Jean Texereau. Further observations led to the realization that Janus shares a unique orbital relationship with another moon, Epimetheus. The discovery of these two moons' peculiar co-orbital configuration was later confirmed by Voyager 1 in 1980.

  1. ^ "Janus". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
  2. ^ JPL (ca. 2008) Cassini Equinox Mission: Janus
  3. ^ Carter (1919) The gates of Janus
  4. ^ Spitale Jacobson et al. 2006.
  5. ^ a b c Thomas & Helfenstein 2020.
  6. ^ a b c Lainey et al. 2023.
  7. ^ Verbiscer French et al. 2007.


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