Albiorix (moon)

Albiorix is a moon that orbits the planet Saturn. It is known officially as Saturn XXVI. This moon is the largest member of a group called the Gallic group. Irregular moons like Albiorix have unusual paths around their planets and often come from far away in space. Studying moons such as Albiorix helps scientists learn more about how solar systems form and change.

Discovery and Naming

Albiorix was found by Holman and others in 2000. It was first called S/2000 S 11. In August 2003, it was named after Albiorix, a Gallic giant thought to be the king of the world. This name comes from an old writing near the town of Sablet in France. It links him to the Roman god Mars. We do not know if Albiorix was just a title meaning "Mars, king of the world," or if he was a real Celtic god connected to Mars.

Orbit

Albiorix orbits Saturn at an average distance of 16 million kilometers, completing its journey in 783.5 days. It travels in the same direction as Saturn's rotation at an inclination of about 39° to the ecliptic. The orbit's shape is 0.470.

Albiorix is part of the Gallic group, a collection of moons that orbit Saturn between 16 and 23 million kilometers away. These moons have inclinations between 34 and 41° and eccentricities ranging from 0.07 to 0.56.

Physical characteristics

Albiorix is a big moon that goes around Saturn. It is red, but some parts are less red. Scientists think it might have a big crater. They also think two other moons could be pieces of Albiorix from an old crash.

The James Webb Space Telescope looked at Albiorix and found some minerals on its surface. It did not find much water ice. It also found carbon dioxide, which forms when certain materials meet radiation. Albiorix looks a lot like another moon of Saturn called Siarnaq.

Albiorix takes about 13 hours and 8 minutes to spin once. Its shape is not round. We can tell this because its brightness changes a lot as it turns.

Origin

Albiorix probably did not form near Saturn. Instead, it may have been caught by Saturn later. Albiorix, along with other members of the Gallic group, is thought to be a piece left over from an asteroid that broke apart and was captured by Saturn.

Exploration

Albiorix was seen by the Cassini spacecraft from 2005 to 2017. Scientists watched how it shines and learned how long it takes to spin once.