thetis

Thetis is a name used for multiple subjects in mythology and astronomy. In Greek mythology, Thetis is a sea-nymph, one of the Nereids, said to be the daughter of Nereus and Doris. She is best known as the mother of Achilles, born to Peleus and Thetis. According to legend, she sought to make her son immortal by dipping him in the River Styx, with only his heel remaining vulnerable. Thetis plays a key role in the stories surrounding the Trojan War, including advising and supporting Achilles and arranging for him to be hidden on Scyros to avoid combat. She is commonly depicted as a powerful, protective mother who embodies both the grace and danger of the sea.

In astronomy, Thetis is a small moon of Saturn. It orbits Saturn and was discovered during the Voyager 2 flyby of the planet in 1981. The name is drawn from the mythological sea-nymph, in keeping with Saturnian moon-naming conventions that draw on figures from Greek and Roman myth. Thetis is one of several mid-sized, irregular moons that accompany Saturn’s complex satellite system, contributing to the diverse collection of natural satellites that surround the planet.