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Image of Daphnis obtained by Cassini showing the ripples it induces in the edges of the Keeler gap. Daphnis (daf'-nis, Greek Δαφνις, provisional designation S/2005 S 1) is a natural satellite of Saturn. It is also known as Saturn XXXV. It orbits the planet in the Keeler Gap within the A ring. It is named after Daphnis, a shepherd, pipes player, and pastoral poet in Greek mythology. He was the son of Hermes, brother of Pan, and descendant of the Titans. Its discovery was announced by Carolyn Porco and the Cassini Imaging Science Team on May 6, 2005, in six images taken by the Cassini probe over 16 min on May 1 from a time-lapse sequence of 0.180 second narrow-angle-camera exposures of the outer edge of the A ring. It was subsequently found in 32 low-phase images taken of the F ring on April 13 (spanning 18 min) and again in two high-resolution (3.54 km/pixel) low-phase images taken on May 2, when its 7 km disk was resolved. It had previously been inferred from gravitational ripples observed on the outer edge of the Keeler gap. This moon seems to make waves inside the ring. Daphnis is about 6 to 8 kilometres in diameter, and orbits within the Keeler gap in Saturn's outer A ring at an average distance of 136.505 Mm in 0.594 days (0.59537 if the semi-major axis is accurate). Current data are too crude to estimate inclination or eccentricity, although they are both likely very close to zero. It has an estimated albedo of 50%.
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Saturn's natural satellites
Pan | Daphnis | Atlas | Prometheus | S/2004 S 6 | S/2004 S 4 | S/2004 S 3 | Pandora | Epimetheus and Janus | Mimas | Methone | Pallene | Enceladus | Telesto, Tethys, and Calypso | Polydeuces, Dione, and Helene | Rhea | Titan | Hyperion | Iapetus | Kiviuq | Ijiraq | Phoebe | Paaliaq | Skathi | Albiorix | S/2004 S 11 | Erriapo | Siarnaq | S/2004 S 13 | Tarvos | Mundilfari | S/2004 S 17 | Narvi | S/2004 S 15 | S/2004 S 10 | Suttungr | S/2004 S 12 | S/2004 S 18 | S/2004 S 9 | S/2004 S 14 | S/2004 S 7 | Thrymr | S/2004 S 16 | Ymir | S/2004 S 8 see also: Rings of Saturn | Cassini-Huygens | Themis Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/"
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