Contents

Atlas (moon)

Moon of Saturn

Atlas

Color photo taken by Cassini on 12 April 2017
Discovery
Discovered by	Terrile, Voyager 1
Discovery date	October, 1980
Designations
Designation	Saturn XV
Pronunciation	/ˈætləs/
Named after	Ἄτλας Ātlās
Alternative names	S/1980 S 28
Adjectives	Atlantean /ætlænˈtiːən/[1]
Orbital characteristics [2]
Epoch December 31, 2003 (JD 2453005.5)
Mean orbit radius	137670±10 km
Eccentricity	0.0012
Orbital period (sidereal)	0.6016947883 d
Inclination	0.003°±0.004°
Satellite of	Saturn
Group	Outer shepherd moon of the A Ring
Physical characteristics
Dimensions	40.8 × 35.4 × 18.6 km (± 0.2 × 0.4 × 0.6 km)[3]: 2
Mean diameter	29.8±0.4 km[3]: 2
Volume	13950±50 km3[4]: 4
Mass	(5.490±0.042)×1015 kg[a]
Mean density	0.3935±0.0033 g/cm3[4]: 4
Surface gravity	0.0001–0.0017 m/s2[3]: 3
Escape velocity	0.006 km/s at longest axis to 0.009 km/s at poles
Synodic rotation period	synchronous
Axial tilt	zero
Albedo	0.4
Temperature	≈ 81 K

Atlas is an inner satelliteofSaturn which was discovered by Richard Terrile in 1980 from Voyager photos and was designated S/1980 S 28.^[5] In 1983 it was officially named after AtlasofGreek mythology, because it "holds the rings on its shoulders" like the Titan Atlas held the sky up above the Earth.^[6] It is also designated Saturn XV.

Atlas is the closest satellite to the sharp outer edge of the A ring, and was long thought to be a shepherd satellite for this ring. However, now it is known that the outer edge of the ring is instead maintained by a 7:6 orbital resonance with the larger but more distant moons Janus and Epimetheus.^[7] In 2004 a faint, thin ring, temporarily designated R/2004 S 1, was discovered in the Atlantean orbit.^[8]

High-resolution images taken in June 2005 by Cassini revealed Atlas to have a roughly spherical centre surrounded by a large, smooth equatorial ridge. The most likely explanation for this unusual and prominent structure is that ring material swept up by the moon accumulates on the moon, with a strong preference for the equator due to the ring's thinness. The size of the equatorial ridge is comparable with the expected Roche lobe of the moon, which means that for any additional particles impacting the equator, the centrifugal force will nearly overcome Atlas's tiny gravity, and they will probably be lost.^[7]

Atlas is significantly perturbed by Prometheus and to a lesser degree by Pandora, leading to excursions in longitude of up to 600 km (~0.25°) away from the precessing Keplerian orbit with a rough period of about 3 years. Because the orbits of Prometheus and Pandora are chaotic, it is suspected that Atlas's may be as well.^[2]

Gallery[edit]

• 
  Atlas from above its south pole (June 12, 2007)
• 
  Atlas - Cassini
  (June 8, 2005).
• 
  Atlas - A and F rings
  (June 30, 2006).
• 
  Atlas near the A ring
  (December 6, 2015).
• 
  Atlas near the F ring
  (May 9, 2005).

Notes[edit]

References[edit]

Citations[edit]

Sources[edit]

• Green, Daniel W. E. (September 9, 2004). "S/2004 S 3, S/2004 S 4, and R/2004 S 1". IAU Circular. 8401: 1. Bibcode:2004IAUC.8401....1P. Retrieved 2011-12-30.
• Lakdawalla, Emily (June 13, 2007). "Funny little Atlas". The Planetary Society weblog. Retrieved 2011-12-30.
• Marsden, Brian G. (November 13, 1980). "1980 S 28". IAU Circular. 3539: 2. Bibcode:1980IAUC.3539....2M. Archived from the original (discovery) on 2011-12-13. Retrieved 2011-12-30.
• Marsden, Brian G. (September 30, 1983). "Satellites of Jupiter and Saturn" (naming the moon). IAU Circular. 3872. Retrieved 2011-12-30.
• 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. Bibcode:2006AJ....132..692S. doi:10.1086/505206.
• Thomas, P. C. (July 2010). "Sizes, shapes, and derived properties of the saturnian satellites after the Cassini nominal mission" (PDF). Icarus. 208 (1): 395–401. Bibcode:2010Icar..208..395T. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2010.01.025. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-12-23. Retrieved 2015-09-04.
• Thomas, P. C.; Helfenstein, P. (July 2020). "The small inner satellites of Saturn: Shapes, structures and some implications". Icarus. 344: 20. Bibcode:2020Icar..34413355T. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2019.06.016. S2CID 197474587. 113355.
• 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. Bibcode:2023A&A...670L..25L. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202244757. L25.

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Atlas (moon).

• Atlas ProfilebyNASA's Solar System Exploration
• The Planetary Society: Atlas
• NASA factsheet