Janus
Janus (Natural satellite). See its size, orbit and live position on a 3D map of the Solar System. Janus is an inner satellite of Saturn.
Janus is an inner satellite of Saturn. It is named after the mythological Janus, the Roman god of beginnings. This natural satellite was first identified by Audouin Dollfus on December 15, 1966, although it had been unknowingly photographed earlier by Jean Texereau. Further observations led to the realization that Janus shares a unique orbital relationship with another moon, Epimetheus. The discovery of these two moons' peculiar co-orbital configuration was later confirmed by Voyager 1 in 1980.
- Type: Natural satellite
- Orbiting: Saturn
- Diameter: 178 km
- Orbital period: 16.7 hours