Jarnsaxa is a moon of Saturn, part of the Solar System in the universe. Saturn is a planet associated with the Sun, our star, and this space encyclopedia describes the moon’s identity and place in its planetary system.

Jarnsaxa — A natural satellite of Saturn. Its physical properties and orbital motion are shown from the available catalogue and ephemeris data.

No object-specific chemical/elemental dataset has been verified and imported for this record. This does not mean none is publicly available. Appearance may be imagined; chemistry is not.

Discovery and designation
Jarnsaxa was discovered in 2006. JPL credits S. Sheppard, D.C. Jewitt, J. Kleyna. Its provisional designation is S/2006 S6. The name and discovery entry identify this particular satellite of Saturn; similarly named asteroids are separate objects.

Jarnsaxa was discovered on March 6, 2006 by Scott S. Sheppard, David C. Jewitt and Jan Kleyna using the Subaru 8.3-m reflector telescope on Mauna Kea, Hawaii.

Jarnsaxa has a mean radius of 1.9 miles (3 kilometers), assuming an albedo (a measure of how reflective the surface is) of 0.04. It orbits Saturn at an inclination of about 163 degrees and an eccentricity of about 0.2. At a mean distance of 12.0 million miles (19.4 million kilometers) from Saturn, the moon takes about 1,007 Earth days to complete one orbit.

Jarnsaxa is a member of the Norse group of moons. These "irregular" moons have retrograde orbits around Saturn -- traveling around in the opposite direction from the planet's rotation. Jarnsaxa and the other Norse moons also have eccentric orbits, meaning they are more elongated than circular.

Like Saturn's other irregular moons, Jarnsaxa is thought to be an object that was captured by Saturn's gravity, rather than having accreted from the dusty disk that surrounded the newly formed planet as the regular moons are thought to have done.

Originally called S/2006 S6, Jarnsaxa was named for one of the nine giantesses in Norse mythology who gave birth to Heimdall, the guard of the rainbow bridge that links our world to Asgard, home of the gods.