Who discovered the moon Helene and when was it found?
Pierre Laques and Jean Lecacheux spotted the moon from Pic du Midi Observatory in 1980. Astronomers assigned it the temporary designation S/1980 S 6 to track its movement across the sky.
Questions about Helene (moon)
Short answers, pulled from the story.
When did the International Astronomical Union officially name Helene after Helen of Troy?
The International Astronomical Union officially named Helene after Helen of Troy in 1988. Greek mythology identifies Helen as the granddaughter of Cronus, the father of Saturn.
Where is the Trojan moon Helene located relative to Dione and Saturn?
Helene occupies a unique spot in space known as the leading Lagrangian point. It travels alongside Dione without ever colliding or drifting away while locked in a stable dance around Saturn.
What spacecraft provided close-up views of Helene during the early 1980s and later missions?
Voyager spacecraft flew past Saturn in the early 1980s providing the first close-up views. Cassini-Huygens entered orbit around Saturn in 2004 to study the system in depth until 2011.
How many distinct craters appear on the surface of Helene today?
More than 70 distinct craters appear on the surface today. The trailing hemisphere shows a crater density ten times greater than the smooth leading hemisphere.