S/2020 S 9

{{Short description|Moon of Saturn}}

{{Infobox planet

| name = S/2020 S 9

| image =

| caption =

| alt_names =

| discovery_ref =  

| discoverer = Edward Ashton, Brett J. Gladman

| discovered = 2020

| earliest_precovery_date =

| orbit_ref =  

| epoch =

| observation_arc =

| semimajor = {{cvt|25434100|km|lk=in}}

| eccentricity = 0.531

| period = -4.203 yrs (1,534.97 d)

| mean_anomaly =

| mean_motion =

| inclination = 161.4° {{small|(to the ecliptic)}}

| asc_node =

| arg_peri =

| satellite_of = Saturn

| group = Norse group

| mean_diameter = {{val|4|+errend=%|-errend=%|u=km}}

| rotation =

| albedo =

| magnitude =

| abs_magnitude = 16.0

}}

S/2020 S 9 is a small and faint natural satellite of Saturn. Its discovery was announced by Edward Ashton, Brett J. Gladman, Jean-Marc Petit and Mike Alexandersen on May 15, 2023 from observations taken between August 23, 2019 and August 16, 2020.

Physical Characteristics, Orbit and Origin

S/2020 S 9 orbits Saturn at a distance of 25.434 Gm in 1,534.97 days, at an inclination of 161.4, orbits in retrograde direction and eccentricity of 0.531. S/2020 S 9 belongs to the Norse group and it is one of the most distant moons from Saturn along with S/2004 S 26, S/2004 S 52 and S/2019 S 21. S/2020 S 9 might be a part of the Mundilfari subgroup, as it has similar inclination to Mundilfari.

S/2020 S 9 is estimated to be about 4 kilometers in diameter.

References

{{reflist|

{{cite web

|title = MPEC 2023-J178 : S/2020 S 9

|url = https://minorplanetcenter.net/mpec/K23/K23JH8.html

|work = Minor Planet Electronic Circular

|publisher = Minor Planet Center

|accessdate = 15 May 2023}}

{{cite web

|title = S/2020 S 9

|url = https://tilmanndenk.de/outersaturnianmoons/s2020_s9/

|work = Tilmann's Web Site

|publisher = Tilmann Denk

|accessdate = 24 December 2023}}

{{cite web

|title = Planetary Satellite Mean Elements

|url = https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sats/elem/

|work = Jet Propulsion Laboratory

|publisher = California Institute of Technology

|accessdate = 15 May 2023}}

{{cite journal |last1=Ashton |first1=Edward |last2=Gladman |first2=Brett |last3=Alexandersen |first3=Mike |last4=Petit |first4=Jean-Marc |title=Retrograde predominance of small saturnian moons reiterates a recent retrograde collisional disruption |journal=Planetary Science Journal |date=10 March 2025 |arxiv=2503.07081 |url=https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.07081 |access-date=6 April 2025}}}}

{{Moons of Saturn}}

Category:Norse group

Category:Moons of Saturn

Category:Astronomical objects discovered in 2020

Category:Irregular satellites

Category:Astronomical objects discovered in 2023

Category:Moons with a retrograde orbit

{{natural-satellite-stub}}