S/2020 S 9

S/2020 S 9

Discovery
Discovered by	Edward Ashton, Brett J. Gladman
Discovery date	2020
Orbital characteristics
Semi-major axis	25,434,100 km (15,804,000 mi)[1]
Eccentricity	0.531
Orbital period (sidereal)	-4.203 yrs (1,534.97 d)[1]
Inclination	161.4° (to the ecliptic)
Satellite of	Saturn
Group	Norse group
Physical characteristics
Mean diameter	4 km
Absolute magnitude (H)	16.0

S/2020 S 9 is a small and faint natural satellite of Saturn. Its discovery was announced by Edward Ashton, Brett J. Gladman, Jean-Marc Petit and Mike Alexandersen on May 15, 2023 from observations taken between August 23, 2019 and August 16, 2020.^[2]

Physical Characteristics, Orbit and Origin

S/2020 S 9 orbits Saturn at a distance of 25.434 Gm in 1,534.97 days, at an inclination of 161.4, orbits in retrograde direction and eccentricity of 0.531.^[2] S/2020 S 9 belongs to the Norse group and it is one of the most distant moons from Saturn along with S/2004 S 26, S/2004 S 52 and S/2019 S 21.^[3] S/2020 S 9 might be a part of the Mundilfari subgroup, as it has similar inclination to Mundilfari.^[4]

S/2020 S 9 is estimated to be about 4 kilometers in diameter.

References

1. "Planetary Satellite Mean Elements". Jet Propulsion Laboratory. California Institute of Technology. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
2. "MPEC 2023-J178 : S/2020 S 9". Minor Planet Electronic Circular. Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
3. "S/2020 S 9". Tilmann's Web Site. Tilmann Denk. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
4. Ashton, Edward; Gladman, Brett; Alexandersen, Mike; Petit, Jean-Marc (10 March 2025). "Retrograde predominance of small saturnian moons reiterates a recent retrograde collisional disruption". Planetary Science Journal. arXiv:2503.07081. Retrieved 6 April 2025.