Bleriot (moonlet)

Bleriot (or Blériot), is the informal name for a propeller moonlet within Saturn's A Ring. It is about 860 metres (2,820 ft) across, making it the largest of these propeller moonlets. It has been tracked by the Cassini Imaging Team since 2005.^[4]

Bleriot

Cassini image directed at Bleriot.
Discovery
Discovered by	Cassini Imaging Team
Discovery date	2005
Orbital characteristics
Semi-major axis	non-Keplerian motion[1]
Eccentricity	≈ 0.000
Orbital period (sidereal)	~3.7 years [2]
Inclination	≈ 0.0
Satellite of	Saturn
Group	A ring moonlet
Physical characteristics
Mean diameter	860±140 m[3]
Synodic rotation period	assumed synchronous

Bleriot has been subject to some scientific studies due to its large size and has helped scientists improve their understanding the interactions between objects within Saturn's rings.^[5][6] The orbit of Bleriot has some anomalies such as that it sometimes is much further behind or ahead than is predicted to be.^[5][7]

The name comes from French aviator Louis Blériot, who was the first person to fly across the English Channel.^[4][5]

Due to its small size, Bleriot cannot be directly imaged, it can only be noticed by the "propeller-shaped" disturbances it creates around it.^[3]

See also

• Peggy (moonlet)
• S/2009 S 1