Pandora (moon)

Short description: Moon of Saturn

Pandora

View of Pandora's western hemisphere.[lower-alpha 1]

Discovery
Discovered by| Stewart A. Collins
D. Carlson
Voyager 1
Discovery date| October, 1980
Designations

Designation

| Saturn XVII
Pronunciation| /pænˈdɔːrə/
Named after| Πανδώρα Pandōra
Adjectives| Pandoran[1]
Orbital characteristics [2]
Epoch December 31, 2003 (JD 2453005.5)

Semi-major axis

| 141720±10 km
Eccentricity| 0.0042
Orbital period| 0.628504213 d
Inclination| 0.050°±0.004° to Saturn's equator
Satellite of| Saturn
Group| Possible outer shepherd moon of the F Ring
Physical characteristics
Dimensions| 103.0 × 79.0 × 63.0 km
(± 0.6 × 0.6 × 0.4 km)[3]: 2
Mean diameter| 80.0±0.6 km[3]: 2
Volume| 268990±860 km3[4]: 4
Mass| (1.357±0.002)×1017 kg[lower-alpha 2]
Mean density| 0.5045±0.0017 g/cm3[4]: 4

surface gravity

| 0.0022–0.0061 m/s2[3]: 3

escape velocity

| 0.019 km/s at longest axis
to 0.024 km/s at poles
Rotation period| synchronous
Axial tilt| zero
Albedo| 0.6
Physics| ≈ 78 K

Pandora is an inner satellite of Saturn. It was discovered in 1980 from photos taken by the Voyager 1 probe, and was provisionally designated S/1980 S 26.[5] In late 1985 it was officially named after Pandora from Greek mythology.[6] It is also designated Saturn XVII.[7]

Pandora was thought to be an outer shepherd satellite of the F Ring. However, recent studies indicate that it does not play such a role, and that only Prometheus, the inner shepherd, contributes to the confinement of the narrow ring.[8][9] It is more heavily cratered than nearby Prometheus, and has at least two large craters 30 kilometres (19 mi) in diameter. The majority of craters on Pandora are shallow as a result of being filled with debris. Ridges and grooves are also present on moon's surface.[10]

The orbit of Pandora appears to be chaotic, as a consequence of a series of four 118:121 mean-motion resonances with Prometheus.[11] The most appreciable changes in their orbits occur approximately every 6.2 years,[2] when the periapsis of Pandora lines up with the apoapsis of Prometheus and the moons approach to within about 1,400 kilometres (870 mi). Pandora also has a 3:2 mean-motion resonance with Mimas.[2]

From its very low density and relatively high albedo, it seems likely that Pandora is a very porous icy body. There is much uncertainty in these values, however, so this remains to be confirmed.

## Contents

* 1 Gallery
* 2 References
* 2.1 Notes
* 2.2 Citations
* 2.3 Sources
* 3 External links

## Gallery

* View of the moon, taken during Cassini's September 2005 flyby.

* Pandora as seen from the Cassini probe in 2005; the rings of Saturn are in the background.

* Cassini captured this close view of Saturn's moon Pandora during the spacecraft's flyby on June 3, 2010.

* Voyager 2 image of Pandora (August 1981).

## References

### Notes

1. ↑ This view was taken by Cassini, during the spacecraft's close flyby on December 18, 2016. The image was taken from a distance of 40,500 kilometres (25,200 miles); the closest approach by the spacecraft during its 14-year tenure in the Saturn system.
2. ↑ Calculated from the standard gravitational parameter GM = (9.058±0.011)×10−3 km3·s–2 given by Lainey et al. (2023), divided by the gravitational constant G = 6.6743×10−2 km3·kg–1·s–2.[4]

### Citations

1. ↑ Robert Kolvoord (1990) Saturn's F ring: imaging and simulation, p. 104
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Spitale Jacobson et al. 2006.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Thomas & Helfenstein 2020.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Lainey et al. 2023.
5. ↑ IAUC 3532.
6. ↑ IAUC 4157.
7. ↑ USGS: Planet and Satellite Names and Discoverers.
8. ↑ "On the masses and motions of mini-moons: Pandora's not a "shepherd," but Prometheus still is". Planetary Society. 2014-07-05. http://www.planetary.org/blogs/emily-lakdawalla/2014/07010001-ringmoons-shepherds.html.
9. ↑ Cuzzi, J. N.; Whizin, A. D.; Hogan, R. C.; Dobrovolskis, A. R.; Dones, L.; Showalter, M. R.; Colwell, J. E.; Scargle, J. D. (April 2014). "Saturn's F Ring core: Calm in the midst of chaos". Icarus 232: 157–175. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2013.12.027. ISSN 0019-1035. Bibcode: 2014Icar..232..157C.
10. ↑ Solar System, NASA: Pandora.
11. ↑ Renner et al. 2005.

### Sources

* Marsden, Brian G. (October 31, 1980). "Satellites of Saturn" (discovery). IAU Circular 3532. http://www.cbat.eps.harvard.edu/iauc/03500/03532.html. Retrieved 2011-12-29.
* Marsden, Brian G. (January 3, 1986). "Satellites of Saturn and Pluto" (naming the moon). IAU Circular 4157. http://www.cbat.eps.harvard.edu/iauc/04100/04157.html. Retrieved 2011-12-29.
* Renner, Stéfan F.; Sicardy, Bruno; French, Richard G. (March 2005). "Prometheus and Pandora: Masses and orbital positions during the Cassini tour". Icarus 174 (1): 230–240. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2004.09.005. Bibcode: 2005Icar..174..230R.
* "Saturn: Moons: Pandora". Solar System Exploration: Planets. NASA. 4 Apr 2011. http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/profile.cfm?Object=Sat_Pandora.
* Spitale, J. N.; Jacobson, R. A.; Porco, C. C.; Owen, W. M. Jr. (2006). "The orbits of Saturn's small satellites derived from combined historic and Cassini imaging observations". The Astronomical Journal 132 (2): 692–710. doi:10.1086/505206. Bibcode: 2006AJ....132..692S.
* Thomas, P. C. (July 2010). "Sizes, shapes, and derived properties of the saturnian satellites after the Cassini nominal mission". Icarus 208 (1): 395–401. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2010.01.025. Bibcode: 2010Icar..208..395T. http://www.ciclops.org/media/sp/2011/6794_16344_0.pdf.
* USGS/IAU (July 21, 2006). "Planet and Satellite Names and Discoverers". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology. http://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Page/Planets#SaturnianSystem.
* Thomas, P. C.; Helfenstein, P. (July 2020). "The small inner satellites of Saturn: Shapes, structures and some implications". Icarus 344: 20. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2019.06.016. 113355. Bibcode: 2020Icar..34413355T.
* Lainey, V.; Rambaux, N.; Cooper, N.; Dahoumane, R.; Zhang, Q. (February 2023). "Characterising the interior of five inner Saturnian moons using Cassini ISS data". Astronomy & Astrophysics 670: 6. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202244757. L25. Bibcode: 2023A&A...670L..25L.

## External links

* Pandora at NASA's Solar System Exploration
* Pandora at The Planetary Society

* v
* t
* e

Moons of Saturn

Listed in approximately increasing distance from Saturn.

Ring shepherds|

* S/2009 S 1
* Ring moonlets
* Pan
* Daphnis
* Atlas
* Prometheus
* Pandora

Co-orbitals|

* Epimetheus
* Janus

G Ring|

* Aegaeon

Alkyonides|

* Methone
* Anthe
* Pallene

Inner large
(with trojans)|

* Mimas
* Enceladus
* Tethys
* Telesto
* Calypso
* Dione
* Helene
* Polydeuces

Outer large|

* Rhea
* Titan
* Hyperion
* Iapetus

Inuit group|

* Kiviuq
* Ijiraq
* Paaliaq
* S/2004 S 29
* S/2004 S 31
* Siarnaq
* Tarqeq

Norse group|

* Phoebe
* Skathi
* S/2004 S 37
* S/2007 S 2
* Skoll
* S/2004 S 13(?)
* Greip
* Hyrrokkin
* Jarnsaxa
* Mundilfari
* S/2006 S 1
* S/2004 S 17(?)
* Bergelmir
* Narvi
* S/2004 S 20
* Suttungr
* Hati
* S/2004 S 12(?)
* S/2004 S 27
* Farbauti
* Thrymr
* S/2004 S 30
* Aegir
* S/2007 S 3(?)
* Bestla
* S/2004 S 7(?)
* S/2004 S 22(?)
* S/2004 S 23(?)
* S/2004 S 25(?)
* S/2004 S 32(?)
* S/2006 S 3
* S/2004 S 38(?)
* Fenrir
* S/2004 S 28(?)
* Surtur
* Kari
* S/2004 S 35(?)
* Ymir
* S/2004 S 21(?)
* Loge
* S/2004 S 36(?)
* S/2004 S 39(?)
* S/2004 S 33(?)
* S/2004 S 34(?)
* Fornjot
* S/2004 S 26(?)

Gallic group|

* Albiorix
* Bebhionn
* Erriapus
* Tarvos

Prograde outer satellites|

* S/2004 S 24

* Rings of Saturn
* Cassini–Huygens
* Themis
* Chiron
* S/2004 S 6
* S/2004 S 4
* S/2004 S 3
* In fiction

* v
* t
* e

Saturn

* Outline of Saturn

Geography|

* Dragon Storm
* Great White Spot
* Hexagon
* Magnetosphere
* Rings

Moons|

* S/2009 S 1
* Ring moonlets
* Pan
* Daphnis
* Atlas
* Prometheus
* S/2004 S 6
* S/2004 S 4
* S/2004 S 3
* Pandora
* Epimetheus
* Janus
* Aegaeon
* Mimas
* Methone
* Anthe
* Pallene
* Enceladus
* Tethys
* Telesto
* Calypso
* Dione
* Helene
* Polydeuces
* Rhea
* Titan
* Hyperion
* Iapetus
* Kiviuq
* Ijiraq
* Phoebe
* Paaliaq
* Skathi
* S/2004 S 37
* Albiorix
* S/2007 S 2
* S/2004 S 29
* Bebhionn
* Erriapus
* Skoll
* S/2004 S 31
* Siarnaq
* Tarqeq
* S/2004 S 13
* Greip
* Hyrrokkin
* Jarnsaxa
* Tarvos
* Mundilfari
* S/2006 S 1
* S/2004 S 17
* Bergelmir
* Narvi
* S/2004 S 20
* Suttungr
* Hati
* S/2004 S 12
* S/2004 S 27
* Farbauti
* Thrymr
* S/2004 S 30
* Aegir
* S/2007 S 3
* Bestla
* S/2004 S 7
* S/2004 S 22
* S/2004 S 23
* S/2004 S 25
* S/2004 S 32
* S/2006 S 3
* S/2004 S 38
* Fenrir
* S/2004 S 28
* Surtur
* Kari
* S/2004 S 35
* Ymir
* S/2004 S 21
* S/2004 S 24
* Loge
* S/2004 S 36
* S/2004 S 39
* S/2004 S 33
* S/2004 S 34
* Fornjot
* S/2004 S 26

Astronomy|

* Delta Octantis
* Saturn-crossing minor planets

Exploration|

* Cassini–Huygens (Huygens)
* timeline
* retirement
* Pioneer 11
* Voyager program
* Voyager 1
* Voyager 2

Related|

* Fiction
* Moons
* The Day the Earth Smiled
* In Saturn's Rings (2018 documentary)

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