Pasiphaë (moon)

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.

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... | S/2003 J 5 | Pasiphaë | Sinope | ...



Jupiter's natural satellites

Inner satellites | Galilean moons: Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto | Themisto | Himalia group | Carpo | S/2003 J 12 | Ananke group | Carme group | Pasiphaë group | S/2003 J 2

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