| Bebhionn | |
| Named After: | Béibhinn |
| Mpc Name: | Saturn XXXVII |
| Alt Names: | S/2004 S 11 |
| Discovered: | 2004 |
| Discoverer: | Scott S. Sheppard David C. Jewitt Jan T. Kleyna Brian G. Marsden |
| Orbit Ref: | [1] |
| Inclination: | 35.01° |
| Eccentricity: | 0.469 |
| Period: | −834.8 days |
| Satellite Of: | Saturn |
| Group: | Gallic group |
| Rotation: | h |
| Albedo: | 0.06 (assumed) |
| Spectral Type: | B–V = 0.61 ± 0.10, V–R = 0.51 ± 0.13[2] |
| Magnitude: | 24.1 |
| Abs Magnitude: | 15.0 |
Bebhionn, also known as Saturn XXXVII, is a small, irregular natural satellite of Saturn. Its discovery was announced by Scott S. Sheppard, David C. Jewitt, Jan Kleyna, and Brian G. Marsden on 4 May 2005 from observations taken between 12 December 2004 and 9 March 2005.
Bebhionn is about 6 kilometres in diameter and orbits Saturn at an average distance of 16,898 Mm in 820.130 days at an inclination of 41° to the ecliptic (18° to Saturn's equator) and with an eccentricity of 0.333. The rotation period of Bebhionn was measured at hours by the ISS camera of the Cassini spacecraft.[3] [4] Bebhionn's light curve reflects an elongated shape with large variations in brightness, making it a leading candidate for a contact binary or binary moon.[5]
The moon was named in April 2007 after Béibhinn (Béḃinn), an early Irish goddess of birth, who was renowned for her beauty. In Irish, Béibhinn/Béḃinn is pronounced in Irish pronounced as /ˈbʲeːvʲiːn̠ʲ/ (southern accents, English approximation) or in Irish pronounced as /ˈbʲeːvʲɪn̠ʲ/ (northern accents, English approximation). The spelling "bh" (older "ḃ") indicates that the second consonant is softened to a "v" sound. The extra "o" in the unusual spelling Bebhionn suggests that the final "nn" should be broad in Irish pronounced as /n̪ˠ/, but is not itself pronounced. The name is still pronounced as a compound (and thus sometimes spelled Bé Binn etc.), so the unstressed vowel is not reduced to a schwa.