Pasithee (moon) facts for kids
Discovery images of Pasithee by the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope in December 2001
|
|
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Scott S. Sheppard David C. Jewitt Jan T. Kleyna |
| Discovery site | Mauna Kea Observatory |
| Discovery date | 11 December 2001 |
| Designations | |
| MPC designation | Jupiter XXXVIII |
|
Named after
|
Πασιθέα Pāsithea |
| S/2001 J 6 | |
| Adjectives | Pasithean |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| Epoch 17 December 2020 (JD 2459200.5) | |
| Observation arc | 16.29 yr (5,949 days) |
| 0.1535315 AU (22,967,990 km) | |
| Eccentricity | 0.2097026 |
| –711.12 d | |
| 71.98760° | |
|
Mean motion
|
0° 30m 22.488s / day |
| Inclination | 164.72796° (to ecliptic) |
| 49.07994° | |
| 331.51895° | |
| Satellite of | Jupiter |
| Physical characteristics | |
|
Mean diameter
|
2 km |
| Albedo | 0.04 (assumed) |
| 23.2 | |
| 16.8 | |
Pasithee also known as Jupiter XXXVIII, is a retrograde irregular satellite of Jupiter. It was discovered by a team of astronomers from the University of Hawaii led by Scott S. Sheppard in 2001, and given the temporary designation S/2001 J 6.
Pasithee is about 2 kilometres in diameter, and orbits Jupiter at an average distance of 23,307,000 km in 711.12 days, at an inclination of 166° to the ecliptic (164° to Jupiter's equator), in a retrograde direction and with an eccentricity of 0.3289.
It was named in August 2003 after Pasithee, one of the Charites, goddesses of charm, beauty, nature, human creativity and fertility, daughters of Zeus (Jupiter) by Eurynome. Pasithee, better known as Aglaea, is the spouse of Hypnos (Sleep).
It belongs to the Carme group, made up of irregular retrograde moons orbiting Jupiter at a distance ranging between 23 and 24 Gm and at an inclination of about 165°.
See also
In Spanish: Pasítea (satélite) para niños
