The Norse group is a large group of retrograde irregular satellites of Saturn. Their semi-major axes range between 12 and 24 Gm, their inclinations between 136° and 175° and their eccentricities between 0.13 and 0.77.
Unlike for the Inuit and Gallic groups, the orbital parameters are widely dispersed and group is likely to be composed from a number of sub-groups with more homogenous orbital and physical parameters. For example, the satellites with inclinations around 174 degree alone are though to be built with at least two sub-groups.
Eight other moons form the Skathi subgroup. Their semi-major axes range between 15 and 20 Gm, their inclinations between 147° and 158°. Narvi forms a separate sub-group with Bestla.
The diagram illustrates the Norse group in relation to other irregular satellites of Saturn. The eccentricity of the orbits is represented by the yellow segments (extending from the pericentre to the apocentre) with the inclination represented on Y axis.
The members of the group are (in order of increasing distance from Saturn):
- Phoebe
- Skathi (Skathi subgroup)
- S/2007 S 2
- Skoll (Skathi subgroup)
- Greip
- Hyrrokkin (Skathi subgroup)
- S/2004 S 13
- S/2004 S 17
- Jarnsaxa
- Mundilfari
- S/2006 S 1 (Skathi subgroup)
- Narvi (Narvi subgroup)
- Bergelmir (Skathi subgroup)
- Suttungr
- S/2004 S 12
- S/2004 S 7
- Hati
- Bestla (Narvi subgroup)
- Farbauti (Skathi subgroup)
- Thrymr
- S/2007 S 3
- Aegir
- S/2006 S 3 (Skathi subgroup)
- Kari (Skathi subgroup)
- Fenrir
- Surtur
- Ymir
- Loge
- Fornjot
The International Astronomical Union (IAU) reserves names taken from Norse mythology (mostly giants) for these moons. The exception is Phoebe (Greek mythology), the largest, which was discovered long before the others.
Famous quotes containing the words saturn, norse, group and/or satellites:
“It is marvelous indeed to watch on television the rings of Saturn close; and to speculate on what we may yet find at galaxy’s edge. But in the process, we have lost the human element; not to mention the high hope of those quaint days when flight would create “one world.” Instead of one world, we have “star wars,” and a future in which dumb dented human toys will drift mindlessly about the cosmos long after our small planet’s dead.”
—Gore Vidal (b. 1925)
“Carlyle has not the simple Homeric health of Wordsworth, nor the deliberate philosophic turn of Coleridge, nor the scholastic taste of Landor, but, though sick and under restraint, the constitutional vigor of one of his old Norse heroes.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
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—bell hooks (b. c. 1955)
“To the Japanese, Portugal and Russia are neutral enemies, England and America are belligerent enemies, and Germany and her satellites are friendly enemies. They draw very fine distinctions.”
—Jerome Cady, U.S. screenwriter, and Lewis Milestone. Peter Voroshevski (Howard Clinton?)