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While approaching Saturn in 2004, Cassini found that the radio rotation period of Saturn had increased appreciably, to approximately 10 h 45 m 45 s ± 36 s. [ 91 ] [ 92 ] An estimate of Saturn's rotation (as an indicated rotation rate for Saturn as a whole) based on a compilation of various measurements from the Cassini , Voyager , and Pioneer ...
The rotation period of Siarnaq was measured by the Cassini spacecraft to be 10.19 hours; this is the shortest rotation period of all prograde irregular moons of Saturn. [7] Siarnaq displays a light curve with three maxima and minima over a full rotation, implying a roughly triangular shape similar to that of Ymir. [8]
In astronomy, the rotation period or spin period [1] of a celestial object (e.g., star, planet, moon, asteroid) has two definitions. The first one corresponds to the sidereal rotation period (or sidereal day), i.e., the time that the object takes to complete a full rotation around its axis relative to the background stars (inertial space).
Pandora is an inner satellite of Saturn. It was discovered in 1980 from photos taken by the Voyager 1 probe and was provisionally designated S/1980 S 26. [5] In late 1985, it was officially named after Pandora from Greek mythology. [6] It is also designated as Saturn XVII. [7] Pandora was thought to be an outer shepherd satellite of the F Ring.
Many of them, such as Pan and Daphnis, orbit within Saturn's ring system and have orbital periods only slightly longer than the planet's rotation period. [46] The innermost moons and most regular satellites all have mean orbital inclinations ranging from less than a degree to about 1.5 degrees (except Iapetus , which has an inclination of 7.57 ...
Pan is the innermost named moon of Saturn. [4] It is approximately 35 kilometres across and 23 km wide and orbits within the Encke Gap in Saturn's A Ring. Pan is a ring shepherd and is responsible for keeping the Encke Gap free of ring particles. It is sometimes described as having the appearance of a walnut, or raviolo. [5]
In March 2013, the synodic rotational period was measured by Cassini to about 5.45 ± 0.04 hours. This is the fastest known rotation of all of Saturn's moons, [2] and in fact the fastest known among all moons (including asteroid moons) for which a rotation period has been reliably measured. Like Mundilfari, it is very elongated in shape.
The Great White Spot, also known as Great White Oval (named by analogy to Jupiter's Great Red Spot) is a series of periodic storms on the planet Saturn that are large enough to be visible from Earth by telescope by their characteristic white appearance. The spots can be several thousands of kilometers wide.