| Discoverer: | Cassini Imaging Team |
| Anthe | |
| Adjective: | Anthean |
| Named After: | Άνθη Anthē |
| Mpc Name: | Saturn XLIX |
| Discovered: | May 30, 2007 |
| Semimajor: | 197,700 km |
| Eccentricity: | 0.0011 |
| Inclination: | 0.1° to Saturn's equator |
| Satellite Of: | Saturn |
| Group: | Alkyonides |
| Avg Speed: | 13.824 km/s |
| Period: | 1.05089 d |
| Dimensions: | 1.8 km [1] |
| Density: | 0.5 g/cm3 |
| Mean Radius: | 0.9 km |
| Circumference: | ≈ 5.7 km |
| Mass: | 1.5 kg[2] |
| Volume: | 3 km3 |
| Surface Area: | 10.18 km2 |
| Surface Grav: | 0.00012 m/s2 (0.12 mm/s2) |
| Escape Velocity: | ≈ 0.56 m/s (≈ 2 km/h) |
| Rotation: | assumed synchronous |
Anthe is a very small natural satellite of Saturn lying between the orbits of Mimas and Enceladus. It is also known as Saturn XLIX; its provisional designation was S/2007 S 4. It is named after one of the Alkyonides; the name means flowery. It is the sixtieth confirmed moon of Saturn.
The designation S/2007 S 4 was also accidentally and incorrectly used for a different Saturnian satellite discovered later. The published discovery was retracted a few hours later and republished the next day under the correct name of S/2007 S 5.
It was discovered by the Cassini Imaging Team in images taken on 30 May 2007. Once the discovery was made, a search of older Cassini images revealed it in observations from as far back as June 2004. It was first announced on 18 July 2007.
Anthe is visibly affected by a perturbing 10:11 mean-longitude resonance with the much larger Mimas. This causes its osculating orbital elements to vary with an amplitude of about 20 km in semi-major axis on a timescale of about 2 Earth years. The close proximity to the orbits of Pallene and Methone suggests that these moons may form a dynamical family.
Material blasted off Anthe by micrometeoroid impacts is thought to be the source of the Anthe Ring Arc, a faint partial ring about Saturn co-orbital with the moon first detected in June 2007.