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At the IAU General Assembly in Sydney in July 2004, the WGPSN* has assigned names to fully 35 satellites as listed below. The number of known planetary satellites now stands at 101, with almost 30 additional satellites pending recovery and naming. The CCD technology has made it possible to discover satellites down to 1 km in size. At some time in the future it may be advisable to stop naming very small satellites. The greatly increased discovery rate of satellites has made it necessary to extend the existing name categories for the satellites of Jupiter and Saturn whose names are drawn from the Greco-Roman mythology. The Jovian satellites have previously been named for Zeus/Jupiter’s lovers and favorites but now Zeus’ descendants are also included as an allowable source of names. The satellites of Saturn have so far been named for the Greco-Roman Titans (7), descendants of the Titans (8), Giants (2) and the Roman god of the beginning (1). In order to internationalize the names, we now also allow names of giants and monsters in other mythologies (so far Gallic, Inuit and Norse).
* Working Group on Planetary System Nomenclature
Satellites of Jupiter
Temp. designation | Permanent designation | Name | Description | S/1999 J 1 | Jupiter XVII | Callirrhoe | Stepdaughter of Zeus/Jupiter | S/1975 J 1 | Jupiter XVIII | Themisto | Conquest of Zeus | S/2000 J 8 | Jupiter XIX | Megaclite | Conquest of Jupiter | S/2000 J 9 | Jupiter XX | Taygete | Conquest of Zeus | S/2000 J 10 | Jupiter XXI | Chaldene | Conquest of Zeus | S/2000 J 5 | Jupiter XXII | Harpalyke | Conquest of Zeus | S/2000 J 2 | Jupiter XXIII | Kalyke | Conquest of Zeus | S/2000 J 3 | Jupiter XXIV | Iocaste | Conquest of Jupiter | S/2000 J 4 | Jupiter XXV | Erinome | Conquest of Jupiter | S/2000 J 6 | Jupiter XXVI | Isonoe | Conquest of Zeus | S/2000 J 7 | Jupiter XXVII | Praxidike | Conquest of Zeus | S/2001 J 1 | Jupiter XXVIII | Autonoe | Conquest of Zeus/Jupiter | S/2001 J 2 | Jupiter XXIX | Thyone | Conquest of Zeus/Jupiter | S/2001 J 3 | Jupiter XXX | Hermippe | Conquest of Zeus | S/2001 J 11 | Jupiter XXXI | Aitne | Conquest of Zeus | S/2001 J 4 | Jupiter XXXII | Eurydome | Conquest of Zeus | S/2001 J 7 | Jupiter XXXIII | Euanthe | Conquest of Zeus | S/2001 J 10 | Jupiter XXXIV | Euporie | Daughter of Jupiter | S/2001 J 9 | Jupiter XXXV | Orthosie | Daughter of Jupiter | S/2001 J 5 | Jupiter XXXVI | Sponde | Daughter of Jupiter | S/2001 J 8 | Jupiter XXXVII | Kale | Daughter of Zeus | S/2001 J 6 | Jupiter XXXVIII | Pasithee | Daughter of Zeus |
Satellites of Saturn
Temp. designation | Permanent designation | Name | Description | S/2000 S 1 | Saturn XIX | Ymir | Norse giant | S/2000 S 2 | Saturn XX | Paaliaq | Inuit giant | S/2000 S 4 | Saturn XXI | Tarvos | Gallic giant | S/2000 S 6 | Saturn XXII | Ijiraq | Inuit giant | S/2000 S 12 | Saturn XXIII | Suttungr | Norse giant | S/2000 S 5 | Saturn XXIV | Kiviuq | Inuit giant | S/2000 S 9 | Saturn XXV | Mundilfari | Norse giant | S/2000 S 11 | Saturn XXVI | Albiorix | Gallic giant | S/2000 S 8 | Saturn XXVII | Skathi | Norse giantess | S/2000 S 10 | Saturn XXVIII | Erriapo | Gallic giant | S/2000 S 3 | Saturn XXIX | Siarnaq | Inuit giant | S/2000 S 7 | Saturn XXX | Thrymr | Norse giant |
Note: Gallic, Inuit and Norse names identify three different orbit inclination groups.
Satellite of Uranus
Temp. designation | Permanent designation | Name | Description | S/2001 U 1 | Uranus | Trinculo | Character in Shakespeare’s The Tempest |
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