Lysithea (moon)

Lysithea
Near-infrared photograph of Lysithea (center) by the 2MASS survey
Discovery [1]
Discovered bySeth B. Nicholson
Discovery siteMt. Wilson Observatory
Discovery date6 July 1938
Designations
Designation
Jupiter X
Pronunciation/laɪˈsɪθiə/[2][3]
Named after
Λυσιθέα Lysithea
AdjectivesLysithean /laɪˈsɪθiən/[4]
Orbital characteristics [5]
Epoch 27 April 2019 (JD 2458600.5)
Observation arc79.87 yr (29,171 days)
0.0782144 AU (11,700,710 km)
Eccentricity0.1478734
+258.57 d
27.18992°
1° 23m 32.227s / day
Inclination26.29254° (to ecliptic)
343.46495°
94.80010°
Satellite ofJupiter
GroupHimalia group
Physical characteristics
42.2±0.7 km (WISE)[6]
42.2±3 km (occultation)[7]: 6 
12.78±0.10 h[8]
Albedo0.036±0.006[6]
Spectral type
C/P[6]
18.2[9]
11.2[5]

Lysithea /laɪˈsɪθiə/ is a prograde irregular satellite of Jupiter. It was discovered by Seth Barnes Nicholson in 1938 at Mount Wilson Observatory[1] and is named after the mythological Lysithea, daughter of Oceanus and one of Zeus' lovers.[10]

Lysithea did not receive its present name until 1975; before then, it was simply known as Jupiter X. It was sometimes called "Demeter"[11] from 1955 to 1975.

It belongs to the Himalia group, moons orbiting between 11 and 13 Gm from Jupiter at an inclination of about 28.3°.[12] Its orbital elements are as of January 2000. They are continuously changing due to solar and planetary perturbations. It is gray in color (B−V=0.72, V−R=0.36, V−I=0.74) and intermediate between C-type and P-type asteroids.[13][6]

Lysithea observed by the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) spacecraft in 2014

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Nicholson, S. B. (October 1938). "Two New Satellites of Jupiter". Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. 50 (297): 292–293. Bibcode:1938PASP...50..292N. doi:10.1086/124963. S2CID 120216615.
  2. ^ "Lysithea". Dictionary.com Unabridged (Online). n.d.
  3. ^ Cf. also 'Lysithous' in Noah Webster (1884) A Practical Dictionary of the English Language
  4. ^ Yenne (1987) The Atlas of the Solar System.
  5. ^ a b "M.P.C. 115890" (PDF). Minor Planet Circular. Minor Planet Center. 27 August 2019.
  6. ^ a b c d Grav, T.; Bauer, J. M.; Mainzer, A. K.; Masiero, J. R.; Nugent, C. R.; Cutri, R. M.; et al. (August 2015). "NEOWISE: Observations of the Irregular Satellites of Jupiter and Saturn" (PDF). The Astrophysical Journal. 809 (1): 9. arXiv:1505.07820. Bibcode:2015ApJ...809....3G. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/809/1/3. S2CID 5834661. 3.
  7. ^ Gomes-Júnior, A. R. (April 2021). "The Irregular Satellites of the Giant Planets" (PDF). Journal for Occultation Astronomy. 11 (2): 3–9. Bibcode:2021JOA....11b...3G.
  8. ^ Luu, Jane (September 1991). "CCD photometry and spectroscopy of the outer Jovian satellites". Astronomical Journal. 102: 1213–1225. Bibcode:1991AJ....102.1213L. doi:10.1086/115949. ISSN 0004-6256.
  9. ^ Sheppard, Scott. "Scott S. Sheppard - Jupiter Moons". Department of Terrestrial Magnetism. Carnegie Institution for Science. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  10. ^ Marsden, Brian G. (7 October 1975). "Satellites of Jupiter". International Astronomical Union.
  11. ^ Payne-Gaposchkin, Cecilia; Katherine Haramundanis (1970). Introduction to Astronomy. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall. ISBN 0-13-478107-4.
  12. ^ Jacobson, R.A. (2000). "The orbits of outer Jovian satellites" (PDF). Astronomical Journal. 120 (5): 2679–2686. Bibcode:2000AJ....120.2679J. doi:10.1086/316817. S2CID 120372170.
  13. ^ Grav, Tommy; Holman, M. J.; Gladman, B. J.; Aksnes, K. (2003). "Photometric survey of the irregular satellites". Icarus. 166 (1): 33–45. arXiv:astro-ph/0301016. Bibcode:2003Icar..166...33G. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2003.07.005. S2CID 7793999.
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