S/2007 S 2

S/2007 S 2
Discovery[1]
Discovered bySheppard et al.
Discovery date2007
Orbital characteristics[2]
15850000 km
Eccentricity0.275
−742.08 days
Inclination176.6°
Satellite ofSaturn
GroupNorse group
Physical characteristics[3]
5 km
Albedo0.06 (assumed)
Spectral type
B–R = 1.37 ± 0.09[4]
24.4
15.3

S/2007 S 2 is a natural satellite of Saturn. Its discovery was announced by Scott S. Sheppard, David C. Jewitt, Jan Kleyna, and Brian G. Marsden on May 1, 2007, from observations taken between January 18 and April 19, 2007. S/2007 S 2 is about 5 kilometres in diameter, and orbits Saturn at an average distance of 16,054,500 kilometres in 759.2 days, at an inclination of 176.65° to the ecliptic, in a retrograde direction and with an eccentricity of 0.237.[5] According to Denk et al. (2018), it is presumably at high risk of colliding with Phoebe in the future.[3]

The moon was once considered lost in 2007 as it was not seen since its discovery.[6][7] The moon was later recovered and announced in October 2019.[8][9]

  1. ^ Discovery Circumstances from JPL
  2. ^ Sheppard, S. S. (2019). "Moons of Saturn, Carnegie Science, on line".
  3. ^ a b Denk, Tilmann; Mottola, Stefano; Tosi, Frederico; Bottke, William F.; Hamilton, Douglas P. (2018). "The Irregular Satellites of Saturn" (PDF). In Schenk, Paul M.; Clark, Roger N.; Howett, Carly J. A.; Verbiscer, Anne J.; Waite, J. Hunter (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.
  4. ^ Graykowski, Ariel; Jewitt, David (2018-04-05). "Colors and Shapes of the Irregular Planetary Satellites". The Astronomical Journal. 155 (4): 184. arXiv:1803.01907. doi:10.3847/1538-3881/aab49b. ISSN 1538-3881.
  5. ^ Tomatic, A. U. (8 October 2019). "MPEC 2019-T165 : S/2007 S 2". Minor Planet Electronic Circular. Minor Planet Center.
  6. ^ Beatty, Kelly (4 April 2012). "Outer-Planet Moons Found — and Lost". www.skyandtelescope.com. Sky & Telescope. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
  7. ^ Jacobson, B.; Brozović, M.; Gladman, B.; Alexandersen, M.; Nicholson, P. D.; Veillet, C. (28 September 2012). "Irregular Satellites of the Outer Planets: Orbital Uncertainties and Astrometric Recoveries in 2009–2011". The Astronomical Journal. 144 (5): 132. Bibcode:2012AJ....144..132J. doi:10.1088/0004-6256/144/5/132. S2CID 123117568.
  8. ^ "Saturn Surpasses Jupiter After The Discovery Of 20 New Moons And You Can Help Name Them!". Carnegie Science. October 7, 2019.
  9. ^ Sheppard, Scott. "Scott S. Sheppard - SaturnMoons". sites.google.com. Retrieved 7 October 2019.