Pasithee

Pasithee (pronounced /pəˈsɪθɨ.iː/ pə-SITH-ə-ee, spelling pronunciation /ˈpæsɨθiː/ PAS-ə-thee, or as in Greek Πασιθέα), 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.[1][2]

Pasithee is about 2 kilometres in diameter, and orbits Jupiter at an average distance of 23,307 Mm in 727.933 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.[3] Pasithee, better known as Aglaea, is the spouse of Hypnos (Sleep) and presides to hallucinations and hallucinogens.

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°.

References

1. ^ IAUC 7900: Satellites of Jupiter May 16, 2002 (discovery)
2. ^ MPEC 2002-J54: Eleven New Satellites of Jupiter May 15, 2002 (discovery and ephemeris)
3. ^ IAUC 8177: Satellites of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus 2003 August (naming the moon)