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Pasiphaë
Discovery |
Discovered by |
P. J. Melotte |
Discovered on |
January 27, 1908 |
Orbital characteristics |
Mean radius |
24,094,770 km (0.16106 AU) |
Eccentricity |
0.2953 |
Periastron |
16,980,250 km (0.114 AU) |
Apastron |
31,209,300 km (0.209 AU) |
Orbital period |
764.082032 d (2.092 a) |
Orbital circumference |
148,036,100 km (0.990 AU) |
Orbital velocity |
max: 3.109 km/s
mean: 2.242 km/s
min: 1.692 km/s |
Inclination |
145.24° (to the ecliptic)
143.04° (to Jupiter's equator) |
Is a satellite of |
Jupiter |
Physical characteristics |
Mean diameter |
60 km |
Surface area |
~11,300 km2 |
Volume |
~113,000 km3 |
Mass |
3.0×1017 kg |
Mean density |
2.6 g/cm3 |
Surface gravity |
0.022 m/s2 (0.002 g) |
Escape velocity |
0.036 km/s |
Rotation period |
? |
Axial tilt |
?° |
Albedo |
0.04 |
Surface temp. |
~124 K |
Atmospheric pressure |
no atmosphere |
Pasiphaë (IPA: /pəˈsɪfeɪi/, pa-sif'-a-ee, Greek Πασιφάη) is a moon of Jupiter. It was discovered in 1908 by Philibert Jacques Melotte and later named after the mythological Pasiphae, wife of Minos and mother of the Minotaur from Greek legend.
It gives its name to the Pasiphaë group, irregular retrograde moons orbiting Jupiter at distances ranging between 22.8 and 24.1 Gm, and with inclinations ranging between 144.5° and 158.3°.
Pasiphaë did not receive its present name until 1975; before then, it was simply known as Jupiter VIII. It was sometimes called "Poseidon".
It was first spotted on a plate taken at the Royal Greenwich Observatory on the night of February 28, 1908. Inspection of previous plates found it as far back as January 27. It received the provisional designation 1908 CJ since it was not clear whether it was an asteroid or a moon of Jupiter. The recognition of the latter case came by April 10.
Links
... | S/2003 J 5 | Pasiphaë | Sinope | ...
Jupiter's natural satellites
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