Kiviuq

Kiviuq (pronounced /ˈkiːvi.oʊk/ KEE-vee-ohk or /ˈkɪvi.ʊk/ KIV-ee-ook) is a prograde irregular satellite of Saturn. It was discovered by Brett J. Gladman in 2000, and given the temporary designation S/2000 S 5.[6][7]

It was named in 2003 after a "giant" of Inuit mythology.[8] Kiviuq (also spelled Keeveeok, Qiviuq or Kivioq) is a legendary and heroic Inuk, a sort of Inuit Odysseus. He has lived very long (or has had several lives), has wandered and journeyed, living all sorts of adventures whose details depend on the story-teller's local tradition.

Kiviuq is about 16 kilometres in diameter, and orbits Saturn at an average distance of 11.1 million kilometers in 450 days. It is a member of the Inuit group of irregular satellites.

Kiviuq displays light-red colours and the infrared spectrum very similar to Siarnaq and Paaliaq, further supporting the thesis of a possible common origin of the Inuit group in the break-up of a larger body[5][9].

Kiviuq is believed to be in Kozai resonance i.e. cyclically reducing the orbital inclination while increasing the eccentricity and vice versa.[10]

On 2010 July 15, the Cassini-Huygens mission took light-curve data from a distance of 9.3 million km.[11]

References

1. ^ Discovery Circumstances (JPL)
2. ^ Mean orbital parameters from JPL
3. ^ a b Scott Sheppard pages
4. ^ Grav, T.; Holman, M. J.; Gladman, B. J.; Aksnes, K.; Photometric survey of the irregular satellites, Icarus, 166 (2003), pp. 33-45
5. ^ a b c Grav, T.; and Bauer, J.; A deeper look at the colors of Saturnian irregular satellites
6. ^ IAUC 7521: S/2000 S 5, S/2000 S 6 November 18, 2000 (discovery)
7. ^ MPEC 2000-Y14: S/2000 S 3, S/2000 S 4, S/2000 S 5, S/2000 S 6, S/2000 S 10 December 19, 2000 (discovery and ephemeris)
8. ^ IAUC 8177: Satellites of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus August 8, 2003 (naming the moon)
9. ^ Gladman, B. J.; Nicholson, P. D.; Burns, J. A.; Kavelaars, J. J.; Marsden, B. G.; Holman, M. J.; Grav, T.; Hergenrother, C. W.; Petit, J.-M.; Jacobson, R. A.; and Gray, W. J.; Discovery of 12 satellites of Saturn exhibiting orbital clustering, Nature, 412 (July 12. 2001), pp. 163–166
10. ^ Ćuk, M.; and Burns, J. A.; On the Secular Behavior of Irregular Satellites, The Astronomical Journal, Vol. 128 (2004), pp. 2518-2541
11. ^ Ciclops: Rev135: Jul 15 - Aug 4 '10

* Ephemeris from IAU-MPC NSES

External links

* David Jewitt pages