What is Ijiraq (moon)?
'''Ijiraq''' is a non-[[Sphere|spherical]] moon of [[Saturn (planet)|Saturn]]. It was found by the team of [[Brett Gladman]], [[John J. Kavelaars]], ''et al.'' in [[2000]], and given the designation '''{{nowrap|S/2000 S 6}}'''. == Orbit == [[File:TheIrregulars SATURN PRO GROUPS.svg|thumb|left|300px|Irregular prograde groups of satellites of Saturn: [[Saturn's Inuit group of satellites|Inuit]] (blue) and [[Saturn's Gallic group of satellites|Gallic]] (red)]] Ijiraq orbits Saturn at an average distance of 11,100,000 km in 451 days on an orbit very similar to [[Kiviuq (moon)|Kiviuq]]'s. The diagram illustrates its orbit in relation to other non-spherical moons of Saturn. The eccentricity of the orbits is represented by the yellow segments extending from the [[apsis|pericentre]] to the [[apsis|apocentre]]. == Physical characteristics == While Ijiraq is a member of the [[Saturn's Inuit group of satellites|Inuit group]] non-spherical moons, recent observations revealed that Ijiraq is redder than [[Paaliaq (moon)|Paaliaq]], [[Siarnaq (moon)|Siarnaq]] and Kiviuq. == Name == Kavelaars, an astronomer at [[McMaster University]], suggested this name to help astronomical nomenclature to get out of its [[Greco-Roman]]o-[[Renaissance]] rut. He spent several months trying to find names that were both multi-cultural and [[Canada|Canadian]], consulting [[Amerindian]] scholars without finding a name that seemed good. In March [[2001]], he was reading an Inuit story to his children and had a revelation. The ijiraq plays at [[Hide and seek|hide-and-seek]], which is what these small moons of Saturn do: they are hard to find, and cold like the Canadian Arctic (the team of discoverers includes Canadians, [[Norway|Norwegians]] and Icelandic's—[[Nordic countries|Nordicity]] is their common trait). Kavelaars contacted the author of the tale, [[Michael Kusugak]], to get his assent, and the latter also suggested the names for [[Kiviuq (moon)|Kiviuq]] and [[90377 Sedna]]. == Other websites == * [http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/~jewitt/irregular