Polydeuces (pawl'-ee-dew'-seez, Greek Πολυδεύκης) is a natural satellite of Saturn that was discovered on images taken on October 21, 2004 by the Cassini imaging team, led by Carolyn C. Porco et al, and given the temporary designation S/2004 S 5. It is co-orbital with Dione and is located in the trailing Lagrangian point (L5). Its diameter is estimated to be about 3.5 km. It is also designated as Saturn XXXIV.
Of the known Lagrangian co-orbitals in the Saturn system, Polydeuces wanders the most from the Lagrangian point, straying up to 32 degrees from L5.
The name Polydeuces was approved by the IAU Working Group on Planetary Science Nomenclature on January 21, 2005. In Greek mythology, Polydeuces is another name for Pollux, brother of Castor.
External links
- IAUC 8432 (November 8, 2004)
- IAUC 8471 (January 21, 2005)
- Cassini news release on ring and moon discoveries, via Spaceflight Now (February 24, 2005)
- C. C. Porco et al., Cassini Imaging Science: Initial Results on Saturn's Rings and Small Satellites, Science, Vol. 307, Issue 5713, pp. 1226-1236 (February 25, 2005; subscription required)