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Preprint
/ref> and similar infrared spectra.Tommy Grav and Matthew J. Holman ''Near-Infrared Photometry of the Irregular Satellites of Jupiter and Saturn'',The Astrophysical Journal, 605, (2004), pp. L141–L144
Preprint
/ref> Recent observations, however, revealed that Ijiraq is distinctly redder than Paaliaq, Siarnaq and Kiviuq. In addition, unlike the other three, Ijiraq's spectrum does not display weak absorption near 0.7 μm. This feature is attributed to a possible
Preprint
/ref> The spectral homogeneity (with the exception of Ijiraq) is consistent with a common origin in the break-up of a single object but the dispersion of the orbital parameters requires further explanation. Recently reported secular resonances among the members could provide the explanation of the post-collisional dispersion.
from JPL
{{DEFAULTSORT:Inuit Group Inuit group Moons of Saturn Irregular satellites Moons with a prograde orbit
The Inuit
Inuit (; iu, ᐃᓄᐃᑦ 'the people', singular: Inuk, , dual: Inuuk, ) are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic and subarctic regions of Greenland, Labrador, Quebec, Nunavut, the Northwest Territories, ...
group is a dynamical grouping of the prograde irregular satellites of Saturn
Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second-largest in the Solar System, after Jupiter. It is a gas giant with an average radius of about nine and a half times that of Earth. It has only one-eighth the average density of Earth; ...
which follow similar orbit
In celestial mechanics, an orbit is the curved trajectory of an object such as the trajectory of a planet around a star, or of a natural satellite around a planet, or of an artificial satellite around an object or position in space such a ...
s. Their semi-major axes
In geometry, the major axis of an ellipse is its longest diameter: a line segment that runs through the center and both foci, with ends at the two most widely separated points of the perimeter. The semi-major axis (major semiaxis) is the longes ...
range between 11 and 18 Gm, their inclination
Orbital inclination measures the tilt of an object's orbit around a celestial body. It is expressed as the angle between a Plane of reference, reference plane and the orbital plane or Axis of rotation, axis of direction of the orbiting object ...
s between 40° and 50°, and their eccentricities between 0.15 and 0.48. They take about 2 years to orbit Saturn.
The International Astronomical Union
The International Astronomical Union (IAU; french: link=yes, Union astronomique internationale, UAI) is a nongovernmental organisation with the objective of advancing astronomy in all aspects, including promoting astronomical research, outreach ...
(IAU) uses names taken from Inuit mythology
Inuit religion is the shared spiritual beliefs and practices of the Inuit, an indigenous people from Alaska, northern Canada, parts of Siberia and Greenland. Their religion shares many similarities with some Alaska Native religions. Traditional ...
for these moons.
The group appeared quite homogeneous in early observations, the satellites displaying ''light-red'' colour (colour indices
In astronomy, the color index is a simple numerical expression that determines the color of an object, which in the case of a star gives its temperature. The lower the color index, the more blue (or hotter) the object is. Conversely, the large ...
B−V = 0.79 and V−R = 0.51, similar to that of the Gallic group)Grav, Tommy; Holman, Matthew J.; Gladman, Brett J.; Aksnes, Kaare ''Photometric survey of the irregular satellites'', Icarus, 166,(2003), pp. 33–45Preprint
/ref> and similar infrared spectra.Tommy Grav and Matthew J. Holman ''Near-Infrared Photometry of the Irregular Satellites of Jupiter and Saturn'',The Astrophysical Journal, 605, (2004), pp. L141–L144
Preprint
/ref> Recent observations, however, revealed that Ijiraq is distinctly redder than Paaliaq, Siarnaq and Kiviuq. In addition, unlike the other three, Ijiraq's spectrum does not display weak absorption near 0.7 μm. This feature is attributed to a possible
water
Water (chemical formula ) is an inorganic, transparent, tasteless, odorless, and nearly colorless chemical substance, which is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known living organisms (in which it acts as ...
hydration.Tommy Grav and James Bauer ''A deeper look at the colors of Saturnian irregular satellites''Preprint
/ref> The spectral homogeneity (with the exception of Ijiraq) is consistent with a common origin in the break-up of a single object but the dispersion of the orbital parameters requires further explanation. Recently reported secular resonances among the members could provide the explanation of the post-collisional dispersion.
Names
The known members of the group are (in order of increasing distance from Saturn): * S/2019 S 1 * Kiviuq * Ijiraq * Paaliaq *Saturn LX
Saturn LX, provisionally known as S/2004 S 29, is a natural satellite of Saturn and a member of the Gallic group. Its discovery was announced by Scott S. Sheppard, David C. Jewitt, and Jan Kleyna on October 7, 2019 from observations taken between ...
* S/2004 S 31
S/2004 S 31 is a natural satellite of Saturn and a member of the Inuit group. Its discovery was announced by Scott S. Sheppard, David C. Jewitt, and Jan Kleyna on October 8, 2019 from observations taken between December 12, 2004 and March 22, 200 ...
* Tarqeq
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 ...
* Siarnaq
See also
* List of natural satellitesReferences
External links
Mean orbital parametersfrom JPL
{{DEFAULTSORT:Inuit Group Inuit group Moons of Saturn Irregular satellites Moons with a prograde orbit