Tarqeq
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 seven kilometres in diameter. The Cassini spacecraft observed Tarqeq over 1.5 days on 15–16 January 2014.
Tarqeq imaged by the Cassini spacecraft in June 2016 | |
| 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 radius | 3+50% −30% km |
| Flattening | 0.242 (minimum) |
| 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.