Bestla (moon)

Bestla or Saturn XXXIX (provisional designation S/2004 S 18) is a moon of Saturn. Its discovery was announced by Scott S. Sheppard, David C. Jewitt, Jan Kleyna, and Brian G. Marsden on May 4, 2005, from observations taken between December 13, 2004, and March 5, 2005.

Bestla is about 7 kilometres in diameter, and orbits Saturn at an average distance of 19,959,000 km in 1052.722 days, at an inclination of 147° to the ecliptic (151° to Saturn's equator), with an eccentricity of 0.772. This moon has the most eccentric orbit of any moon in the solar system.

It was named in April 2007 after Bestla, a frost giantess (female giant) from Norse mythology, mother of Odin.

References

Institute for Astronomy Saturn Satellite Data
Jewitt's New Satellites of Saturn page
IAUC 8523: New Satellites of Saturn May 4, 2005 (discovery)
MPEC 2005-J13: Twelve New Satellites of Saturn May 3, 2005 (discovery and ephemeris)
IAUC 8826: Satellites of Jupiter and Saturn (subscription-only) 2007 April 5 (naming the moon)

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v t e Moons of Saturn
Listed in approximately increasing distance from Saturn. Temporary names in italics.
Ring shepherds	S/2009 S 1 Ring moonlets Pan Daphnis Atlas Prometheus Pandora
Co-orbitals	Epimetheus Janus
G Ring	Aegaeon
Mimas and Alkyonides	Mimas Methone Anthe Pallene
Inner large (with trojans)	Enceladus Tethys Telesto Calypso Dione Helene Polydeuces
Outer large	Rhea Titan Hyperion Iapetus
Inuit group	Kiviuq Ijiraq Paaliaq Siarnaq Tarqeq
Norse group	Phoebe Skathi S/2007 S 2(?) Skoll S/2004 S 13(?) Greip Hyrrokkin Jarnsaxa Mundilfari S/2006 S 1(?) S/2004 S 17(?) Bergelmir Narvi Suttungr Hati S/2004 S 12(?) Farbauti Thrymr Aegir S/2007 S 3(?) Bestla S/2004 S 7(?) S/2006 S 3 Fenrir Surtur Kari Ymir Loge Fornjot
Gallic group	Albiorix Bebhionn Erriapus Tarvos
Rings of Saturn Cassini–Huygens Themis Chiron S/2004 S 6 S/2004 S 4 S/2004 S 3 In fiction