Skoll 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.

Skoll — 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
Skoll was discovered in 2006. JPL credits S. Sheppard, D.C. Jewitt, J. Kleyna. Its provisional designation is S/2006 S8. The name and discovery entry identify this particular satellite of Saturn; similarly named asteroids are separate objects.

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

Skoll 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 160 degrees and an eccentricity of about 0.5. At a mean distance of 11.0 million miles (17.7 million kilometers) from Saturn, the moon takes about 878 Earth days to complete one orbit.

Skoll 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. Skoll and the other Norse moons also have eccentric orbits, meaning they are more elongated than circular.

Like Saturn's other irregular moons, Skoll 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. Skoll appears to be a member of a subgroup that also includes Skathi, Hyrrokkin, S/2006 S1, Bergelmir, Farbauti, S/2006 S3, and Kari.

Originally called S/2006 S8, Skoll was named for a giant wolf in Norse mythology, who pursues the sun (that is, the sun chariot and the girl who drives it — see Mundilfari for an explanation) across the sky. It is destined to catch and devour them at the doomsday time known as Ragnarok.