Pandora (moon)
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| Missing image Pandora_moon.jpg Pandora, as imaged by Voyager 2 (NASA) | |
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Collins, Voyager 1 |
| Discovered in | October, 1980 |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| Semimajor axis | 141,520 km |
| Eccentricity | 0.0042 |
| Revolution period | 0.6285 d [1] (http://sse.jpl.nasa.gov/planets/profile.cfm?Object=Sat_Pandora&Display=Facts) |
| Inclination | 0.007° (to Saturn's equator) |
| Is a satellite of | Saturn |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Diameter | 110×88×62 km |
| Mass | 1.94×1017 kg |
| Mean density | 0.6 g/cm3 |
| Surface gravity | 0.008 m/s2 |
| Rotation period | synchronous |
| Axial tilt | zero |
| Albedo | 0.6 |
| Atmosphere | none |
Pandora (pan-dor'-a, Greek Πανδώρα) is a moon of Saturn. It was discovered in 1980 from Voyager photos, and was designated 1980 S 26. In 1985 it was officially named after Pandora from Greek mythology. It is also designated as Saturn XVII.
Pandora is the outer shepherd satellite of the F Ring. It is more heavily cratered than nearby Prometheus, and has at least two large craters 30 km in diameter but shows no linear ridges or valleys.
From its very low density and relatively high albedo, it seems likely that Pandora is a very porous icy body. There is a lot of uncertainty in these values, however, so this remains to be confirmed.
There is also an asteroid called 55 Pandora.
External links
- The Planetary Society: Pandora (http://www.planetary.org/saturn/pandora.html)
| Saturn's natural satellites |
|---|
| Janus' group | Mimas | Enceladus | Tethys | Dione | Rhea | Titan | Hyperion | Iapetus | Inuit group | Gallic group | Norse group |
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