Narvi.space

Irregular moon of Saturn (retrograde) · Outer Saturnian system · Norse group

Narvi

Saturn XXXI · S/2003 S 1

A seven-kilometre moon with a strange light curve and an orbit that can fall into resonance with Saturn.

Key factsStargazing kit picker
Narvi at a glance
Object typeIrregular, retrograde moon of Saturn[1]
GroupNorse group; subgroup with Bestla[2]
DiscoveredApril 8, 2003 (images Feb.–Apr. 2003)[2]
NamedApproved 21 January 2005, after Narfi[1]
Diameter≈ 7 km[1]
Rotation period≈ 10.21 hours[1]
Mean distance≈ 19.3 million km from Saturn[3]
Orbital period≈ 1,000 days[3]
Inclination≈ 142° (retrograde)[3]
Eccentricity≈ 0.44[3]

Narvi

Narvi is about 7 km across and orbits Saturn backwards, on an orbit very similar to Bestla’s.[1] NASA places it in a subgroup with Bestla.[2]

Flirting with resonance

Narvi’s orbit can temporarily fall into secular resonance with Saturn.[1]

An unusual light curve

Narvi rotates every 10.21 hours. Its light curve has three minima like Siarnaq and Ymir, but one minimum is much higher than the others, and the maximum half a period ahead is much lower.[1]

The name

It was named in January 2005 after Narfi, a giant in Norse mythology; the IAU approved the name on 21 January 2005.[1] NASA describes Narvi as a son of Loki.[2]

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Orbit

Narvi’s distance from Saturn ranges from about 10.8 to 27.8 million km over a 1,000-day orbit.[3]

Saturn Titan (1.22 million km)Phoebe (12.93 million km) farthest ≈ 27.8 million km closest ≈ 10.8 million km
Top-down orbit of Narvi to scale, computed from JPL orbital elements (a ≈ 19.29 million km, e ≈ 0.441).[3] Titan and Phoebe orbits shown for comparison.[3] Mean orbital elements; the real orbit is tilted steeply and shifts over time, so this top-down view flattens it onto one plane.

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Narvi and Bestla

Two moons on similar orbits.

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What is secular resonance?

Why Narvi’s orbit sometimes locks into step with Saturn.

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Narvi’s strange light curve

What its brightness changes say about its shape.

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Sources

  1. Narvi (moon) — Wikipedia
  2. Narvi — NASA Science
  3. Planetary Satellite Mean Elements — NASA JPL Solar System Dynamics
  4. Norse group — Wikipedia

Figures are rounded; where sources differ we note it. Spotted an error? Tell us.