Calypso (moon)

Calypso is a moon of Saturn. It was discovered in 1980, from ground-based observations, by Dan Pascu, P. Kenneth Seidelmann, William A. Baum, and Douglas G. Currie, and was provisionally designated S/1980 S 25 (the 25th satellite of Saturn discovered in 1980).[7] Several other apparitions of it were recorded in the following months: S/1980 S 29, S/1980 S 30,[8] S/1980 S 32,[9] and S/1981 S 2.[10] In 1983 it was officially named after Calypso of Greek mythology.[lower-alpha 1] It is also designated Saturn XIV or Tethys C.

There is also an asteroid called 53 Kalypso.
Calypso
Calypso image from Cassini
(February 13, 2010)
Discovery
Discovered by
  • Dan Pascu
  • P. Kenneth Seidelmann
  • William A. Baum
  • Douglas G. Currie
Discovery dateMarch 13, 1980
Designations
Designation
Saturn XIV
Pronunciation/kəˈlɪpsoʊ/[1]
Named after
Καλυψώ Kalypsō
Tethys C
S/1980 S 25
AdjectivesCalypsoan /kælɪpˈsoʊ.ən/,[2] Calypsonian /kælɪpˈsoʊniən/[3]
Orbital characteristics
294619 km
Eccentricity0.000
1.887802 d [4]
Inclination1.56° (to Saturn's equator)
Satellite ofSaturn
GroupL5 Tethys trojan
Physical characteristics
Dimensions30.2 × 23 × 14 km [5]
Mean radius
10.7±0.7 km [5]
synchronous
zero
Albedo1.34±0.10 (geometric) [6]

    Calypso is co-orbital with the moon Tethys, and resides in Tethys' trailing Lagrangian point (L5), 60 degrees behind Tethys. This relationship was first identified by Seidelmann et al. in 1981.[11] The moon Telesto resides in the other (leading) Lagrangian point of Tethys, 60 degrees in the other direction from Tethys. Calypso and Telesto have been termed "Tethys trojans", by analogy to the trojan asteroids, and are half of the four presently known trojan moons.

    Like many other small Saturnian moons and small asteroids, Calypso is irregularly shaped, has overlapping large craters, and appears to also have loose surface material capable of smoothing the craters' appearance. Its surface is one of the most reflective (at visual wavelengths) in the Solar System, with a visual geometric albedo of 1.34.[6] This very high albedo is the result of the sandblasting of particles from Saturn's E-ring, a faint ring composed of small, water-ice particles generated by Enceladus' south polar geysers.[12]

    • Another February 13, 2010 image showing flow-like albedo features
    • Cassini image from September 23, 2005
    • Calypso as seen by Voyager 2 (August 1981)

    See also
    • List of moons

    References

    Notes

    1. Transactions of the International Astronomical Union, Vol. XVIIIA, 1982 (confirms Janus, names Epimetheus, Telesto, Calypso) (mentioned in IAUC 3872: Satellites of Jupiter and Saturn, September 30, 1983)

    Citations

    1. "Calypso". Lexico UK Dictionary. Oxford University Press.
    2. The Emerson Society Quarterly, vol. 50, p. 56, 1968
    3. "Calypsonian". Lexico UK Dictionary. Oxford University Press.
    4. NASA Celestia Archived 2005-03-09 at the Wayback Machine
    5. Thomas 2010.
    6. Verbiscer French et al. 2007.
    7. IAUC 3496.
    8. IAUC 3549.
    9. IAUC 3605.
    10. IAUC 3593.
    11. Seidelmann Harrington et al. 1981.
    12. Mason 2010.

    Sources

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