Fornjot

A confirmed moon in the Saturn system.

Named · Saturn XLII · S/2004 S 8

Snapshot 2026-09-09 · catalog 1.0.0

Explore Fornjot in Orrery

Physical measurements

Mean radius
— No value in the admitted source set.
GM · gravitational parameter
— No value in the admitted source set.
Mass
— Mass requires an admitted GM estimate.
Mean density
— No value in the admitted source set.

Orbit descriptions

Mean elements describe an average orbit. They are not positions for a chosen date.

SAT456 · ecliptic plane · 2000-01-01.5 TDB
Semimajor axis
24,936,800 km
Sidereal period
1,470.36 days
Eccentricity
0.213
Inclination to reference plane
170°
Argument of periapsis
321.9°
Mean anomaly
53.5°
Ascending node
269.3°
Apsidal / nodal precession periods
150.5 / 278.6 years
Reference-plane pole RA / Dec
— / —°
Plane tilt to parent equator
—°
Reference center
Not specified in this summary sourceThe summary table identifies a parent system but does not explicitly specify the reference center for each solution. Do not infer a physical-primary center, especially for Pluto’s circumbinary moons.

Orientation

No supported orientation model in the admitted PCK source.

Identity & availability

Stable catalog ID
fornjot
JPL / NAIF satellite ID
642
Names & designations
Fornjot · S/2004 S 8
Discovery / rediscovery years
2004S. Sheppard, D.C. Jewitt, J. Kleyna

No validated dated trajectory admitted in catalog 1.0.0. Mean elements are not ephemerides.

No image or global texture admitted in this catalog release.No environment measurements admitted in this catalog release.

Sources & evidence

  1. JPL discovery circumstancestable tr[162] (zero-based); saturn / Fornjot · References: IAUC 8523
  2. MPC planetary satellite listitems[140]; Saturn 42
  3. MPC satellite namesitems[54]; Saturn 42
  4. JPL mean orbital elements#sat_elem row ID=161; Saturn / Fornjot / NAIF 642 · References: 48

Full catalog, uncertainty and source manifests · All Saturn moons · Moon model limits