Tarqeq
Tarqeq imaged by the Cassini spacecraft in June 2016
Discovery[1][2]
Discovered byScott S. Sheppard
David C. Jewitt
Jan Kleyna
Brian G. Marsden
Discovery date13 April 2007
Designations
Designation
Saturn LII
Pronunciation/ˈtɑːrkɛk/
Named after
Tarqiup Inua
S/2007 S 1
AdjectivesTarqiupian, Tarqeqian[3]
Orbital characteristics[1]
Epoch 2007 Apr. 10.0
17.9106 Gm
Eccentricity0.1081
894.86 d
Inclination49.90°
Satellite ofSaturn
GroupInuit group (Siarnaq)
Physical characteristics
Mean diameter
6+50%
−30% km[4]
76.13±0.01 h[4]

    Tarqeq, also known as Saturn LII (provisional designation S/2007 S 1) is a natural satellite of Saturn. Its discovery was announced by Scott S. Sheppard, David C. Jewitt, Jan Kleyna, and Brian G. Marsden on 13 April 2007 from observations taken between 5 January 2006 and 22 March 2007.[1][2] It is named after Tarqeq, the Inuit moon god,[5] and is a member of the Inuit group of irregular satellites. It is about seven kilometres in diameter.[6] The Cassini spacecraft observed Tarqeq over 1.5 days on 15–16 January 2014.

    The Tarqiupian (Tarqeqian)[3] orbit lies at an inclination of 49.90° (to the ecliptic; 49.77° to Saturn's equator), with an eccentricity of 0.1081[1] and a semi-major axis of 17.9106 Gm. Tarqeq orbits in a prograde direction with a period of 894.86 days.

    Tarqeq is the slowest-rotating irregular moon measured by Cassini–Huygens, with a period of about 76.13±0.04 h and a roughly ellipsoidal shape. This is very close to a 1:5 resonance with Titan's orbital period, suggesting that gravitational interactions possibly lock Tarqeq in a mean-motion resonance.[7]

    It has very similar inclination and semi-major axis as Siarnaq, suggesting that it is a fragment of the latter.[7]

    References

    1. 1 2 3 4 MPEC 2007-G38: S/2007 S 1 13 April 2007 (discovery, prediscovery and ephemeris)
    2. 1 2 IAUC 8836: S/2007 S 1, S/2007 S 2, and S/2007 S 3 11 May 2007 (discovery)
    3. 1 2 The genitive form of Tarqeq is Tarqiup (as in Tarqiup Inua 'Master of the Moon'). Thus the adjectival form could be absolutive Tarqeqian or genitive Tarqiupian, parallel to nominative Venusian and genitive Venerian for Venus. See Inuktitut morphology
    4. 1 2 Denk, T.; Mottola, S. (2019). Cassini Observations of Saturn's Irregular Moons (PDF). 50th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference. Lunar and Planetary Institute.
    5. ↑ IAUC 8873: Satellites of Saturn 20 September 2007 (naming)
    6. ↑ Saturn's Known Satellites Archived 2008-01-19 at the Wayback Machine
    7. 1 2 Denk, T.; Mottola, S.; Bottke, W. F.; Hamilton, D. P. (2018). "The Irregular Satellites of Saturn". Enceladus and the Icy Moons of Saturn (PDF). Vol. 322. University of Arizona Press. pp. 409–434. Bibcode:2018eims.book..409D. doi:10.2458/azu_uapress_9780816537075-ch020. ISBN 9780816537488.
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