Methone (moon)
Cassini image of Methone's leading side taken on 20 May 2012. Its unusually smooth surface is likely from the accumulation of dust | |
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Cassini Imaging Team |
| Discovery date | June 1, 2004 |
| Designations | |
Designation | Saturn XXXII |
| Pronunciation | /mɛˈθoʊniː/ |
Named after | Μεθώνη Methōnē |
| Adjectives | Methonean /mɛθəˈniːən/ |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| Epoch June 20, 2004 (JD 2453177.5) | |
| 194700 km | |
| Eccentricity | 0.002 |
| 1.009549 d | |
| Inclination | 0.007°±0.003° (to Saturn's equator) |
| Satellite of | Saturn |
| Group | Alkyonides |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 3.88 × 2.58 × 2.42 km (±0.04 × 0.08 × 0.04 km): 2 |
| 2.90±0.06 km: 2 | |
| Volume | 12.8 km3 |
| Mass | (3.92±1.00)×1012 kg: 3 |
Mean density | 0.307±0.030 g/cm3: 3 |
| 0.008–0.013 mm/s2: 3 | |
| 0.0005 km/s at longest axis to 0.0007 km/s at poles | |
| synchronous | |
| zero | |
Methone /mɛˈθoʊniː/ is a small, egg-shaped natural satellite of Saturn that orbits out past Saturn's ring system, between the orbits of Mimas and Enceladus. It was discovered in 2004, though it was not until 2012 that it was imaged in detail by the Cassini spacecraft.