 Tarqeq imaged by the Cassini spacecraft in June 2016 | |
| Discovery[1][2] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Scott S. Sheppard David C. Jewitt Jan Kleyna Brian G. Marsden |
| Discovery date | 13 April 2007 |
| Designations | |
Designation | Saturn LII |
| Pronunciation | /ˈtɑːrkɛk/ |
Named after | Tarqiup Inua |
| S/2007 S 1 | |
| Adjectives | Tarqiupian, Tarqeqian[a] |
| Orbital characteristics[1] | |
| Epoch 2007 Apr. 10.0 | |
| 17.9106 Gm | |
| Eccentricity | 0.1081 |
| 894.86 d | |
| Inclination | 49.90° |
| Satellite of | Saturn |
| Group | Inuit group (Siarnaq) |
| Physical characteristics[3][4] | |
Mean diameter | 6+50% −30% km |
| 76.13±0.01 h | |
| Albedo | 0.06 (assumed) |
| 23.9 | |
| 14.8 | |
Tarqeq, also known as Saturn LII (provisional designation S/2007 S 1) is a natural satellite of Saturn. Its discovery was announced by Scott S. Sheppard, David C. Jewitt, Jan Kleyna, and Brian G. Marsden on 13 April 2007 from observations taken between 5 January 2006 and 22 March 2007.[1][2] It is named after Tarqeq, the Inuit moon god,[5] and is a member of the Inuit group of irregular satellites. It is about six kilometres in diameter. The Cassini spacecraft observed Tarqeq over 1.5 days on 15–16 January 2014.
The Tarqiupian (Tarqeqian)[a] orbit lies at an inclination of 49.90° (to the ecliptic; 49.77° to Saturn's equator), with an eccentricity of 0.1081[1] and a semi-major axis of 17.9106 Gm. Tarqeq orbits in a prograde direction with a period of 894.86 days.
Tarqeq is the slowest-rotating irregular moon measured by Cassini–Huygens, with a period of about 76.13±0.01 h and a roughly ellipsoidal shape.[3] This is very close to a 1:5 resonance with Titan's orbital period, suggesting that gravitational interactions possibly lock Tarqeq in a mean-motion resonance.[4]
It has very similar inclination and semi-major axis as Siarnaq, suggesting that it is a fragment of the latter.[4]
