) Greip imaged by the Cassini spacecraft in September 2015 | |
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovery date | 2006 |
| Designations | |
Designation | Saturn LI |
| S/2006 S 4 | |
| Orbital characteristics [1] | |
Semi-major axis | 18206000 km |
| Eccentricity | 0.326 |
| −921.2 days | |
| Inclination | 179.8° |
| Satellite of | Saturn |
| Group | Norse group |
| Physical characteristics | |
Mean diameter | 5+50% −30% km[2] |
| 12.75±0.35? h[2] | |
| 24.4 | |
Greip /ˈɡreɪp/ or Saturn LI is a natural satellite of Saturn. Its discovery was announced by Scott S. Sheppard, David C. Jewitt, Jan Kleyna, and Brian G. Marsden on 26 June 2006, from observations taken between 5 January and 1 May 2006. Greip is about 6 kilometres in diameter, and orbits Saturn at an average distance of 18,066 Mm in 906.556 days, at an inclination of 172.7° to the ecliptic (159.2° to Saturn's equator), in a retrograde direction and with an eccentricity of 0.3735. Its rotation period is 12.75±0.35 hours.[2]
It is named after Greip, a giantess in Norse mythology.
References
- ^ S.S. Sheppard (2019), Moons of Saturn, Carnegie Science, on line
- ^ a b c Denk, T.; Mottola, S. (2019). Cassini Observations of Saturn's Irregular Moons (PDF). 50th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference. Lunar and Planetary Institute.
- Institute for Astronomy Saturn Satellite Data
- IAUC 8727: Satellites of Saturn June 30, 2006 (discovery)
- MPEC 2006-M45: Eight New Satellites of Saturn June 26, 2006 (discovery and ephemeris)
- IAUC 8873: Satellites of Saturn September 20, 2007 (naming)