Skoll (pronounced /ˈskɒl/ skol, or as Norse [skœlː]) 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 June 26, 2006, from observations taken between January 5 and April 30, 2006. [2][4]
Skoll is about 6 kilometres in diameter (assuming an albedo of 0.04)[3], and orbits Saturn at an average distance of 17.6 Gm (million km) in 869 days, following a highly eccentric and moderately inclined orbit.
It was named in April 2007[5] after Sköll, a giant wolf from Norse mythology, son of Fenrisulfr and twin brother of Hati.
References
1. ^ Discovery Circumstances from JPL
2. ^ a b MPEC 2006-M45: Eight New Satellites of Saturn June 26, 2006 (discovery and ephemeris)
3. ^ a b c Scott Sheppard's pages
4. ^ IAUC 8727: Satellites of Saturn June 30, 2006 (discovery)
5. ^ IAUC 8826: Satellites of Jupiter and Saturn April 5, 2007 (naming the moon)
* Ephemeris from IAU-MPC NSES
* Mean orbital parameters from NASA JPL
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