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Greip imaged by the Cassini spacecraft in September 2015 | |
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Scott S. Sheppard David C. Jewitt Jan T. Kleyna Brian G. Marsden |
| Discovery date | 2006 |
| Designations | |
Designation | Saturn LI |
| Named after | Greipa |
| S/2006 S 4 | |
| Orbital characteristics [1] | |
| 18206000 km | |
| Eccentricity | 0.326 |
| Orbital period | −921.2 days |
| Inclination | 179.8° |
| Satellite of | Saturn |
| Group | Norse group |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Mean diameter | 5+50% −30% km[2] |
| Rotation period | 12.75±0.35? h[2] |
| Apparent magnitude | 24.4 |
Greip /ˈɡreɪp/ or Saturn LI is a natural satellite of Saturn. Its discovery was announced by Scott S. Sheppard, David C. Jewitt, Jan Kleyna, and Brian G. Marsden on 26 June 2006, from observations taken between 5 January and 1 May 2006. Greip is about 6 kilometres in diameter, and orbits Saturn at an average distance of 18,066 Mm in 906.556 days, at an inclination of 172.7° to the ecliptic (159.2° to Saturn's equator), in a retrograde direction and with an eccentricity of 0.3735, and is presumably at high risk of eventually colliding with Phoebe.[3] It is unknown whether Greip is more similar to Suttungr or Hyrrokkin in color.[3] Its rotation period is most likely 12.75±0.35 hours with two minima in the light curve,[2] but a longer period of 19 hours cannot be ruled out due to the short observation time by Cassini–Huygens.[3]
It is named after Greip, a giantess in Norse mythology.