Polydeuces (moon)

Polydeuces /ˌpɒlɪˈdjuːsiːz/, also designated Saturn XXXIV, is a small trojan moon of Saturn occupying the trailing L5 Lagrange point of Dione. It was discovered by the Cassini Imaging Science Team in images taken by the Cassini space probe on 21 October 2004. With a mean diameter of about 3 km (1.9 mi), Polydeuces is thought to have a smooth surface coated with fine, icy particles accumulated from the cryovolcanic plumes of Enceladus. In its orbit around Saturn, Polydeuces periodically drifts away from Dione's Lagrange point due to gravitational perturbations by other nearby moons of Saturn. Of the four known trojan moons of Saturn, Polydeuces exhibits the largest displacement from its Lagrange point.

Polydeuces
Polydeuces imaged approximately 73,000 km (45,000 mi) away from the Cassini spacecraft on 22 May 2006
Discovery
Discovered byCassini Imaging Science Team
Discovery date21 October 2004
(date of discovery images): 223 
Designations
Designation
Saturn XXXIV
Pronunciation/ˌpɒlɪˈdjuːsiːz/
Named after
Πολυδεύκης Polydeykēs
S/2004 S 5
AdjectivesPolydeucean /ˌpɒlɪdjuːˈsiːən/
Polydeucian /ˌpɒlɪˈdjuːsiən/
Orbital characteristics : 9 
Epoch 1 January 2000 12:00 UT
(JD 2451545.0)
Earliest precovery date2 April 2004: 695, 702 : 261 
377600 km
Eccentricity0.019
2.736916 d
10.03 km/s: 2 
Inclination0.2°
Satellite ofSaturn
GroupL5 Dione trojan
Physical characteristics
Dimensions3.50 × 3.10 × 2.62 km
(± 0.40 × 0.40 × 0.40 km): 7 
Mean diameter
3.06±0.40 km: 7 
Volume15 km3
Mass≈ 8×1012 kg (assumed; unmeasured)
Mean density
≈ 0.5 g/cm3 (assumed; unmeasured): 3 : 2 
≈ 0.0002 m/s2 at longest axis
to ≈ 0.0003 m/s2 at poles
≈ 0.0008 km/s at longest axis
to ≈ 0.0009 km/s at poles
assumed synchronous: 4 
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