My Assistant
Orbit Swapping - Epimetheus & Janus |
Jul 12 2005, 11:40 AM
Post
#1
|
|
|
Newbie ![]() Group: Members Posts: 1 Joined: 8-July 05 Member No.: 431 |
The orbits of these two moonlets vary in distance from Saturn by only 50km - less than the radius of either, so they nominally share an orbit.
The inner moon (Epimetheus?) is slowly catching up with the outer (Janus?) and I understand that in January/February next year they are due to pass one another, and because of their gravitational interaction, to swap positions. (Epimetheus speeds up relative to Janus and moves to a higher orbit, and Janus does the reverse) Does anyone know if Cassini will be in a position to take some images which could be made into a movie of the phenomenon? - would be awesome to see the process actually happening....... |
|
|
|
![]() |
Jul 12 2005, 12:14 PM
Post
#2
|
|
![]() Member ![]() ![]() ![]() Group: Members Posts: 362 Joined: 12-June 05 From: Kiama, Australia Member No.: 409 |
QUOTE (Jason @ Jul 12 2005, 10:40 PM) The inner moon (Epimetheus?) is slowly catching up with the outer (Janus?) and I understand that in January/February next year they are due to pass one another, and because of their gravitational interaction, to swap positions. You are correct when you say that they dont actually pass each other but the one that moves to a higher orbit is the one that is doing the catching up. When it moves to a higher orbit it slows down and starts to drop behind again, but how close do they get to each other |
|
|
|
Jason Orbit Swapping - Epimetheus & Janus Jul 12 2005, 11:40 AM
abalone QUOTE (abalone @ Jul 12 2005, 11:14 PM)but ho... Jul 13 2005, 12:06 AM
Phil Stooke I don't have a number but 100 km can't be ... Jul 13 2005, 12:12 AM
abalone QUOTE (Phil Stooke @ Jul 13 2005, 11:12 AM)I ... Jul 13 2005, 02:28 AM
abalone QUOTE (Phil Stooke @ Jul 13 2005, 11:12 AM)I ... Jul 18 2005, 12:23 PM
Decepticon New Images Up... http://saturn1.jpl.nasa.gov/multi... Jul 16 2005, 01:01 PM
Mark6 If you look at these two moons in a reference fram... Jul 18 2005, 02:24 AM
Phil Stooke No, it's not really the same situation.
Fir... Jul 18 2005, 03:04 AM
Mark6 QUOTE (Phil Stooke @ Jul 18 2005, 03:04 AM)Mo... Jul 18 2005, 02:06 PM![]() ![]() |
|
Lo-Fi Version | Time is now: 16th December 2024 - 05:03 AM |
|
RULES AND GUIDELINES Please read the Forum Rules and Guidelines before posting. IMAGE COPYRIGHT |
OPINIONS AND MODERATION Opinions expressed on UnmannedSpaceflight.com are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of UnmannedSpaceflight.com or The Planetary Society. The all-volunteer UnmannedSpaceflight.com moderation team is wholly independent of The Planetary Society. The Planetary Society has no influence over decisions made by the UnmannedSpaceflight.com moderators. |
SUPPORT THE FORUM Unmannedspaceflight.com is funded by the Planetary Society. Please consider supporting our work and many other projects by donating to the Society or becoming a member. |
|