Bestla (moon)

Bestla (/ˈbɛstlə/ BEST-lə) or Saturn XXXIX (provisional designation S/2004 S 18) is a retrograde irregular moon of Saturn. Its discovery was announced by Scott S. Sheppard, David C. Jewitt, Jan Kleyna, and Brian G. Marsden on 4 May 2005, from observations taken between 13 December 2004 and 5 March 2005.

Description

Bestla is about 7 kilometres in diameter, and orbits Saturn at an average distance of 20,192,000 km in 1088 days, at an inclination of 147° to the ecliptic (151° to Saturn's equator), in a retrograde direction and with an eccentricity of 0.5145.^[1] Early observations from 2005 suggested that Bestla had a very high eccentricity of 0.77.^[2] Like many of the outer irregular moons of the giant planets, Bestla's eccentricity may vary as a result of the Kozai mechanism.

Name

This moon was named in April 2007 after Bestla, a frost giantess from Norse mythology, who is a mother of Odin.

References

↑ Jacobson, R.A. (2007-06-28). "Planetary Satellite Mean Orbital Parameters". JPL/NASA. Retrieved 2008-01-19.
↑ Brian G. Marsden (2005-05-03). "MPEC 2005-J13 : Twelve New Satellites of Saturn". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 2008-01-19.

External links

Saturn's Known Satellites (by Scott S. Sheppard)
Jewitt's New Satellites of Saturn page
IAUC 8523: New Satellites of Saturn May 4, 2005 (discovery)
IAUC 8826: Satellites of Jupiter and Saturn April 5, 2007 (naming the moon)

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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