 Image of Skoll taken by Cassini on February 23, 2016 | |
| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | S. S. Sheppard D. C. Jewitt J. Kleyna |
| Discovery date | 2006 |
| Designations | |
Designation | Saturn XLVII |
| Pronunciation | English: /skɒl/ Old Norse: [skœlː] (approximately /skɜːrl/) |
Named after | Sköll |
| S/2006 S 8 | |
| Orbital characteristics[2] | |
| 17560000000 km | |
| Eccentricity | 0.418 |
| 869 days (2.38 yr) | |
| Inclination | 156° |
| Satellite of | Saturn |
| Group | Norse group |
| Physical characteristics | |
Mean diameter | 5+50% −30% km[3] |
| 7.26±0.09? h[3] | |
| Albedo | 0.04 (assumed)[4] |
Skoll or Saturn XLVII (provisional designation S/2006 S 8) is a retrograde irregular satellite of Saturn. Its discovery was announced by Scott S. Sheppard, David C. Jewitt and Jan Kleyna on 26 June 2006 from observations taken between 5 January and 30 April 2006.[2][5]
Skoll is about 6 kilometres in diameter (assuming an albedo of 0.04) and orbits Saturn at an average distance of 17.6 Gm (million km) in 869 days, following a highly eccentric and moderately inclined orbit.[4] A rotation period of 7.26±0.04 h was obtained by Cassini–Huygens in 2016, but this is in strong disagreement with 2013 data for unknown reasons; one possible explanation is variation in the rotation speed and axis due to Milankovitch wobble.[6]
It was named in April 2007[7] after Sköll, a giant wolf from Norse mythology, son of Fenrir and twin brother of Hati.
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