S/2004 S 12
Discovery [1]
Discovered byScott S. Sheppard et al.
Discovery siteMauna Kea Obs.
Discovery date12 December 2004
Orbital characteristics [2]
Epoch 9 August 2022 (JD 2459800.5)
Observation arc15.61 yr (5,703 days)
0.1327201 AU (19,855,000 km)
Eccentricity0.3711930
–2.86 yr (–1044.50 d)
326.59167°
0° 20m 40.789s / day
Inclination163.85743° (to ecliptic)
330.73760°
111.13920°
Satellite ofSaturn
GroupNorse group
Physical characteristics
Mean diameter
≈5 km[3]
Albedo0.04 (assumed)[3]
24.8[3]
15.9[2]

S/2004 S 12 is a natural satellite 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 12 December 2004 and 9 March 2005.

S/2004 S 12 is about 5 kilometres in diameter, and orbits Saturn at an average distance of 19,855,000 kilometres in about 1,044 days, at an inclination of 163.9° to the ecliptic, in a retrograde direction and with an eccentricity of 0.371.[2][4]

This moon was considered lost[5] until its recovery was announced on 12 October 2022.[2] (In 2021, it had also been found in Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope observations from 2019.)[6]

References

  1. ^ Discovery Circumstances from JPL
  2. ^ a b c d "MPEC 2022-T128 : S/2004 S 12". Minor Planet Electronic Circular. Minor Planet Center. 12 October 2022. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
  3. ^ a b c S.S. Sheppard (2019), Moons of Saturn, Carnegie Science, on line
  4. ^ Jacobson, R.A. (2007) SAT272 (2007-06-28). "Planetary Satellite Mean Orbital Parameters". JPL/NASA. Archived from the original on 2011-08-10. Retrieved 2008-01-20.((cite web)): CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ Ashton, Edward; Gladman, Brett; Beaudoin, Matthew (August 2021). "Evidence for a Recent Collision in Saturn's Irregular Moon Population". The Planetary Science Journal. 2 (4): 12. Bibcode:2021PSJ.....2..158A. doi:10.3847/PSJ/ac0979.
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