Target Information
TARGET_NAME S20 PAALIAQ
PRIMARY_BODY_NAME SATURN
TARGET_TYPE SATELLITE
TARGET_DESCRIPTION
'S20 PAALIAQ' and 'PAALIAQ' refer to the same target.
 
        Skoll (provisional designation S/2000 S 2).
 
        Paaliaq is a prograde irregular satellite of Saturn. It was
        discovered by Brett J. Gladman, John J. Kavelaars, Jean-Marc
        Petit, Hans Scholl, Matthew J. Holman, Brian G. Marsden, Philip
        D. Nicholson and Joseph A. Burns in early October 2000, and given
        the temporary designation S/2000 S 2. It was named in August 2003
        after a fictional shaman in the book The Curse of the Shaman,
        written by Michael Kusugak, who supplied Kavelaars with the names
        of giants from Inuit mythology that were used for other Saturnian
        moons.
 
        Paaliaq is thought to be about 22 kilometres in diameter, and orbits
        Saturn at an average distance of 15.2 Gm in 687 days. It is a member
        of the Inuit group of irregular satellites. It also has a proximity
        with 9 other moons reaching up to ten miles from each.
 
        Together with Kiviuq and Siarnaq, Paaliaq displays light-red colours
        and similar infrared spectrum, further supporting the thesis of a
        possible common origin of the Inuit group in the break-up of a larger
        body.
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