The Norse group is a large group of retrograde irregular satellites of Saturn. Their semi-major axes range between 12 and 27 Gm, their inclinations between 136° and 178° and their eccentricities between 0.06 and 0.63. Unlike the Inuit and Gallic groups, the orbital parameters are widely dispersed and the group is likely to be composed from a number of subgroups with more homogeneous orbital and physical parameters. The International Astronomical Union (IAU) reserves names taken from Norse mythology (mostly giants) for these moons. The exception is Phoebe ( Greek mythology), the largest, which was discovered long before the others.
The discovery of 17 new moons in this group was announced in October 2019. A team led by Scott S. Sheppard using the Subaru Telescope at Mauna Kea discovered 20 new moons, each about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) in diameter. 17 of these are thought to fit into the Norse group. One of these is the most distant moon of Saturn. A public naming contest for these moons was announced, restricted to names from Norse mythology. [1] Ten of these moons received official names in August 2022. [2]
The members of the group are (in order of increasing distance from Saturn according to JPL mean orbital elements): [3]
Name | Diameter (km) | Period (days) | Subgroup |
---|---|---|---|
Phoebe | 213 | –550.30 | Phoebe |
S/2006 S 20 |
5 | –567.27 | Phoebe? [4] [5] [a] |
S/2006 S 9 |
3 | –647.89 | Phoebe? [6] [a] |
Skathi | 9 | –728.10 | |
S/2007 S 5 | 4 | –746.88 | |
S/2007 S 7 | 4 | –754.29 | |
S/2007 S 2 | 5 | –754.90 | |
S/2004 S 37 | 4 | –754.48 | |
S/2004 S 47 | 4 | –762.49 | |
S/2004 S 40 | 4 | –764.60 | |
S/2019 S 2 | 3 | –799.82 | |
S/2019 S 3 | 4 | –837.74 | |
S/2020 S 7 | 3 | –861.70 | |
Skoll | 6 | –878.44 | |
S/2020 S 2 | 3 | –897.60 | |
S/2019 S 4 | 3 | –904.26 | |
S/2004 S 41 | 4 | –914.61 | |
S/2004 S 42 | 4 | –925.91 | |
Hyrrokkin | 9 | –931.89 | |
Greip | 6 | –936.98 | |
S/2004 S 13 | 4 | –942.57 | |
S/2007 S 6 | 3 | –949.50 | |
Mundilfari | 8 | –952.95 | |
S/2006 S 1 | 5 | –964.14 | |
S/2004 S 43 | 4 | –980.08 | |
S/2006 S 10 | 3 | –983.14 | |
S/2019 S 5 | 3 | –990.38 | |
Gridr | 5 | –1004.75 | |
Bergelmir | 6 | –1005.58 | |
Jarnsaxa | 5 | –1006.92 | |
Narvi | 8 | –1003.84 | |
Suttungr | 8 | –1016.71 | |
S/2007 S 3 | 5 | –1026.35 | |
S/2004 S 44 | 5 | –1026.16 | |
S/2004 S 45 | 4 | –1038.70 | |
Hati | 6 | –1040.29 | |
S/2004 S 17 | 4 | –1040.86 | |
S/2006 S 11 | 3 | –1042.28 | |
S/2004 S 12 | 4 | –1048.57 | |
Eggther | 6 | –1052.33 | |
S/2006 S 13 | 4 | –1060.63 | |
S/2007 S 9 | 4 | –1078.07 | |
S/2019 S 7 | 4 | –1080.29 | |
S/2019 S 8 | 4 | –1088.68 | |
Farbauti | 5 | –1087.29 | |
Thrymr | 9 | –1091.84 | |
Bestla | 8 | –1087.46 | |
S/2019 S 9 | 4 | –1093.11 | |
S/2004 S 46 | 3 | –1107.58 | |
Angrboda | 4 | –1114.05 | |
S/2019 S 11 | 4 | –1115.00 | |
Aegir | 5 | –1119.33 | |
Beli | 4 | –1121.76 | |
S/2019 S 10 | 3 | –1123.04 | |
S/2019 S 12 | 4 | –1138.85 | |
Gerd | 4 | –1142.97 | |
S/2019 S 13 | 3 | –1144.92 | |
S/2006 S 14 | 3 | –1152.68 | |
Gunnlod | 5 | –1157.98 | |
S/2019 S 15 | 3 | –1161.54 | |
S/2020 S 6 | 3 | –1168.86 | |
S/2004 S 7 | 5 | –1173.93 | |
S/2006 S 3 | 5 | –1174.76 | |
S/2005 S 5 | 3 | –1177.82 | |
Skrymir | 5 | –1185.15 | |
S/2006 S 16 | 3 | –1207.52 | |
S/2006 S 15 | 4 | –1213.96 | |
S/2004 S 28 | 5 | –1220.68 | |
S/2020 S 8 | 3 | –1228.12 | |
Alvaldi | 5 | –1232.19 | |
Kari | 8 | –1231.01 | |
S/2004 S 48 | 4 | –1242.40 | |
Geirrod | 4 | –1251.14 | |
Fenrir | 4 | –1260.25 | |
S/2004 S 50 | 3 | –1260.44 | |
S/2006 S 17 | 4 | –1264.58 | |
S/2004 S 49 | 4 | –1264.25 | |
S/2019 S 17 | 4 | –1291.39 | |
Surtur | 5 | –1296.49 | |
S/2006 S 18 | 4 | –1298.40 | |
Loge | 6 | –1311.83 | |
Ymir | 22 | –1315.16 | |
S/2019 S 19 | 3 | –1318.05 | |
S/2004 S 21 | 4 | –1325.43 | |
S/2019 S 18 | 3 | –1327.06 | |
S/2004 S 39 | 4 | –1336.17 | |
S/2019 S 16 | 3 | –1341.17 | |
S/2004 S 53 | 4 | –1342.44 | |
S/2004 S 36 | 4 | –1352.93 | |
Thiazzi | 4 | –1366.68 | |
S/2019 S 20 | 3 | –1375.45 | |
S/2006 S 19 | 4 | –1389.33 | |
S/2004 S 34 | 4 | –1420.77 | |
Fornjot | 6 | –1494.03 | |
S/2004 S 51 | 4 | –1519.43 | |
S/2020 S 10 | 3 | –1527.22 | |
S/2020 S 9 | 4 | –1534.97 | |
S/2004 S 26 | 5 | –1603.95 | |
S/2019 S 21 | 4 | –1636.32 | |
S/2004 S 52 | 3 | –1633.98 |
The Norse group is a large group of retrograde irregular satellites of Saturn. Their semi-major axes range between 12 and 27 Gm, their inclinations between 136° and 178° and their eccentricities between 0.06 and 0.63. Unlike the Inuit and Gallic groups, the orbital parameters are widely dispersed and the group is likely to be composed from a number of subgroups with more homogeneous orbital and physical parameters. The International Astronomical Union (IAU) reserves names taken from Norse mythology (mostly giants) for these moons. The exception is Phoebe ( Greek mythology), the largest, which was discovered long before the others.
The discovery of 17 new moons in this group was announced in October 2019. A team led by Scott S. Sheppard using the Subaru Telescope at Mauna Kea discovered 20 new moons, each about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) in diameter. 17 of these are thought to fit into the Norse group. One of these is the most distant moon of Saturn. A public naming contest for these moons was announced, restricted to names from Norse mythology. [1] Ten of these moons received official names in August 2022. [2]
The members of the group are (in order of increasing distance from Saturn according to JPL mean orbital elements): [3]
Name | Diameter (km) | Period (days) | Subgroup |
---|---|---|---|
Phoebe | 213 | –550.30 | Phoebe |
S/2006 S 20 |
5 | –567.27 | Phoebe? [4] [5] [a] |
S/2006 S 9 |
3 | –647.89 | Phoebe? [6] [a] |
Skathi | 9 | –728.10 | |
S/2007 S 5 | 4 | –746.88 | |
S/2007 S 7 | 4 | –754.29 | |
S/2007 S 2 | 5 | –754.90 | |
S/2004 S 37 | 4 | –754.48 | |
S/2004 S 47 | 4 | –762.49 | |
S/2004 S 40 | 4 | –764.60 | |
S/2019 S 2 | 3 | –799.82 | |
S/2019 S 3 | 4 | –837.74 | |
S/2020 S 7 | 3 | –861.70 | |
Skoll | 6 | –878.44 | |
S/2020 S 2 | 3 | –897.60 | |
S/2019 S 4 | 3 | –904.26 | |
S/2004 S 41 | 4 | –914.61 | |
S/2004 S 42 | 4 | –925.91 | |
Hyrrokkin | 9 | –931.89 | |
Greip | 6 | –936.98 | |
S/2004 S 13 | 4 | –942.57 | |
S/2007 S 6 | 3 | –949.50 | |
Mundilfari | 8 | –952.95 | |
S/2006 S 1 | 5 | –964.14 | |
S/2004 S 43 | 4 | –980.08 | |
S/2006 S 10 | 3 | –983.14 | |
S/2019 S 5 | 3 | –990.38 | |
Gridr | 5 | –1004.75 | |
Bergelmir | 6 | –1005.58 | |
Jarnsaxa | 5 | –1006.92 | |
Narvi | 8 | –1003.84 | |
Suttungr | 8 | –1016.71 | |
S/2007 S 3 | 5 | –1026.35 | |
S/2004 S 44 | 5 | –1026.16 | |
S/2004 S 45 | 4 | –1038.70 | |
Hati | 6 | –1040.29 | |
S/2004 S 17 | 4 | –1040.86 | |
S/2006 S 11 | 3 | –1042.28 | |
S/2004 S 12 | 4 | –1048.57 | |
Eggther | 6 | –1052.33 | |
S/2006 S 13 | 4 | –1060.63 | |
S/2007 S 9 | 4 | –1078.07 | |
S/2019 S 7 | 4 | –1080.29 | |
S/2019 S 8 | 4 | –1088.68 | |
Farbauti | 5 | –1087.29 | |
Thrymr | 9 | –1091.84 | |
Bestla | 8 | –1087.46 | |
S/2019 S 9 | 4 | –1093.11 | |
S/2004 S 46 | 3 | –1107.58 | |
Angrboda | 4 | –1114.05 | |
S/2019 S 11 | 4 | –1115.00 | |
Aegir | 5 | –1119.33 | |
Beli | 4 | –1121.76 | |
S/2019 S 10 | 3 | –1123.04 | |
S/2019 S 12 | 4 | –1138.85 | |
Gerd | 4 | –1142.97 | |
S/2019 S 13 | 3 | –1144.92 | |
S/2006 S 14 | 3 | –1152.68 | |
Gunnlod | 5 | –1157.98 | |
S/2019 S 15 | 3 | –1161.54 | |
S/2020 S 6 | 3 | –1168.86 | |
S/2004 S 7 | 5 | –1173.93 | |
S/2006 S 3 | 5 | –1174.76 | |
S/2005 S 5 | 3 | –1177.82 | |
Skrymir | 5 | –1185.15 | |
S/2006 S 16 | 3 | –1207.52 | |
S/2006 S 15 | 4 | –1213.96 | |
S/2004 S 28 | 5 | –1220.68 | |
S/2020 S 8 | 3 | –1228.12 | |
Alvaldi | 5 | –1232.19 | |
Kari | 8 | –1231.01 | |
S/2004 S 48 | 4 | –1242.40 | |
Geirrod | 4 | –1251.14 | |
Fenrir | 4 | –1260.25 | |
S/2004 S 50 | 3 | –1260.44 | |
S/2006 S 17 | 4 | –1264.58 | |
S/2004 S 49 | 4 | –1264.25 | |
S/2019 S 17 | 4 | –1291.39 | |
Surtur | 5 | –1296.49 | |
S/2006 S 18 | 4 | –1298.40 | |
Loge | 6 | –1311.83 | |
Ymir | 22 | –1315.16 | |
S/2019 S 19 | 3 | –1318.05 | |
S/2004 S 21 | 4 | –1325.43 | |
S/2019 S 18 | 3 | –1327.06 | |
S/2004 S 39 | 4 | –1336.17 | |
S/2019 S 16 | 3 | –1341.17 | |
S/2004 S 53 | 4 | –1342.44 | |
S/2004 S 36 | 4 | –1352.93 | |
Thiazzi | 4 | –1366.68 | |
S/2019 S 20 | 3 | –1375.45 | |
S/2006 S 19 | 4 | –1389.33 | |
S/2004 S 34 | 4 | –1420.77 | |
Fornjot | 6 | –1494.03 | |
S/2004 S 51 | 4 | –1519.43 | |
S/2020 S 10 | 3 | –1527.22 | |
S/2020 S 9 | 4 | –1534.97 | |
S/2004 S 26 | 5 | –1603.95 | |
S/2019 S 21 | 4 | –1636.32 | |
S/2004 S 52 | 3 | –1633.98 |