Discovered by B. J. Gladman et al. Semi-major axis 11.111 Gm Orbital period 449.22 d(1.23 yr) | Adjectives Kiviup Eccentricity 0.3288 Discovered 7 August 2000 | |
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Discoverers John J. Kavelaars, Brett J. Gladman Similar Brett J Gladman discoveries, Saturn moons, Other celestial objects | ||
Kiviuq (/ˈkɪvi.ʌk/ KIV-ee-uk or /ˈkiːvi.oʊk/ KEE-vee-ohk) is a prograde irregular satellite of Saturn. It was discovered by Brett J. Gladman in 2000, and given the temporary designation S/2000 S 5. It was named after Kiviuq, a hero of Inuit mythology.
Kiviuq is about 16 kilometres in diameter, and orbits Saturn at an average distance of 11.1 million kilometers in 450 days. It is a member of the Inuit group of irregular satellites. It is light red, and the Kiviupian (Kiviuqan) infrared spectrum is very similar to the Inuit-group satellites Siarnaq and Paaliaq, supporting the thesis of a possible common origin of the Inuit group in the break-up of a larger body.
Kiviuq is believed to be in Kozai resonance, cyclically reducing its orbital inclination while increasing the eccentricity and vice versa.
Exploration
On 30 August 2010, the ISS camera of the Cassini–Huygens spacecraft took light-curve data from a distance of 9.3 million km. With these data, the rotation period was measured to 21 hours and 49 minutes.