Kari (moon)

For the asteroid, see 832 Karin.

Kari or Saturn XLV is a natural satellite of Saturn. Its discovery was announced by Scott S. Sheppard, David C. Jewitt, Jan Kleyna, and Brian G. Marsden on 26 June 2006 from observations taken between January and April 2006.

Kari

Kari imaged by the Cassini spacecraft in May 2017
Discovery
Discovered by	Scott S. Sheppard David C. Jewitt Jan T. Kleyna Brian G. Marsden
Discovery date	2006
Designations
Designation	Saturn XLV
Pronunciation	Icelandic: [ˈkʰauːrɪ]
Named after	Kári
Alternative names	S/2006 S 2
Orbital characteristics[1]
Semi-major axis	22118000 km
Eccentricity	0.478
Orbital period (sidereal)	−1233.6 days
Inclination	156.3°
Satellite of	Saturn
Group	Norse group
Physical characteristics[2][3]
Mean diameter	6+50% −30% km
Synodic rotation period	7.70±0.14 h
Albedo	0.06 (assumed)
Spectral type	g – r = 0.31 ± 0.07, r – i = 0.53 ± 0.09[4]
Apparent magnitude	23.9
Absolute magnitude (H)	14.8

Kari is about 6 kilometres in diameter, and orbits Saturn at an average distance of 22,305,100 km in 1243.71 days, at an inclination of 148.4° to the ecliptic (151.5° to Saturn's equator), in a retrograde direction and with an eccentricity of 0.3405. The rotation period has been determined to be 7.7±0.14 hours.^[2] The light curve is similar to Hyrrokkin's, having two deep and one shallow minima, and the moon is probably triangular in shape.^[3]

It was named in April 2007 after Kári, son of Fornjót, the personification of wind in Norse mythology.