Tarqeq, also known as Saturn LII (provisional designation S/2007 S 1) is a natural satellite of Saturn.
Its discovery was announced by Scott S. Sheppard, David C. Jewitt, Jan Kleyna, and Brian G. Marsden on 13 April 2007 from observations taken between 5 January 2006 and 22 March 2007. It is named after Tarqeq, the Inuit moon god, and is a member of the Inuit group of irregular satellites. It is about six kilometres in diameter. The Cassini spacecraft observed Tarqeq over 1.5 days on 15–16 January 2014.
Discovery | |
---|---|
Discovered by | Scott S. Sheppard David C. Jewitt Jan Kleyna Brian G. Marsden |
Discovery date | 13 April 2007 |
Designations | |
Designation | Saturn LII |
Pronunciation | /ˈtɑːrkɛk/ |
Named after | Tarqiup Inua |
S/2007 S 1 | |
Adjectives | Tarqiupian, Tarqeqian |
Orbital characteristics | |
Epoch 2007 Apr. 10.0 | |
17.9106 Gm | |
Eccentricity | 0.1081 |
894.86 d | |
Inclination | 49.90° |
Satellite of | Saturn |
Group | Inuit group (Siarnaq) |
Physical characteristics | |
Mean diameter | 6+50% −30% km |
76.13±0.01 h | |
Albedo | 0.06 (assumed) |
23.9 | |
14.8 | |
The Tarqiupian (Tarqeqian) orbit lies at an inclination of 49.90° (to the ecliptic; 49.77° to Saturn's equator), with an eccentricity of 0.1081 and a semi-major axis of 17.9106 Gm. Tarqeq orbits in a prograde direction with a period of 894.86 days.
Tarqeq is the slowest-rotating irregular moon measured by Cassini–Huygens, with a period of about 76.13±0.01 h and a roughly ellipsoidal shape. This is very close to a 1:5 resonance with Titan's orbital period, suggesting that gravitational interactions possibly lock Tarqeq in a mean-motion resonance.
It has very similar inclination and semi-major axis as Siarnaq, suggesting that it is a fragment of the latter.
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