Skathi (moon)

Skathi or Saturn XXVII, is a moon of Saturn. It was found by Brett Gladman, Kavelaars, et al. in 2000, and given the designation S/2000 S 8.

Skathi is about 6.4 kilometres in diameter, and orbits Saturn at an average distance of 15,576,000 km in 725.784 days, at an inclination of 149° to the ecliptic (150° to Saturn's equator) with an eccentricity of 0.246.

Skathi may have been formed from debris knocked off of Phoebe by big impacts at some point in the solar system's history.

Its name comes from Norse mythology, where Skaði is a giantess (female giant) who is the wife of the Vanir god Njord.

Skathi (moon) Media

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  An animation of the three images that first depicted Skathi, taken on September 23, 2000.

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  A diagram of Saturn's moons showing orbital distances and inclinations. Skathi is included in the Norse group, colored in gray.

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  The brightest object in this animation by the Cassini spacecraft is thought to be Skathi, shown moving against the background stars.