Thebe (moon)

Thebe
	Image of Thebe taken by the Galileo spacecraft on January 4 2000.
Discovery
Discovered by	Stephen P. Synnott / Voyager 1
Discovery date	March 5 1979
Orbital characteristics
Periapsis	218,000 km
Apoapsis	226,000 km
Mean orbit radius	221889.0 ± 0.6 km (3.11 RJ)
Eccentricity	0.0175 ± 0.0004
Orbital period	0.674536 ± 0.000001 d (16 h 11.3 min)
Average orbital speed	23.923 km/s
Inclination	1.076 ±0.003° (to Jupiter's equator)
Satellite of	Jupiter
Physical characteristics
Dimensions	116×98×84 km
Mean radius	49.3 ± 2.0 km
Volume	~500,000 km³
Mass	4.3×1017 kg
Mean density	0.86 g/cm³ (assumed)
Surface gravity	~0.020 m/s² (0.004 g)
Escape velocity	~0.040 km/s
Rotation period	synchronous
Axial tilt	zero
Albedo	0.047 ± 0.003
Temperature	~124 K

Thebe or Jupiter XIV, is the fourth of Jupiter's known moons (by distance from the planet). It was found by Stephen P. Synnott in images from the Voyager 1 space probe taken on March 5, 1979 and was given the designation S/1979 J 2.^[5]^[6] Later, it was found on images dating back to February 27, 1979. In 1983 it was officially named after the mythological nymph Thebe who was the daughter of the river god Asopus and a lover of Zeus (the Greek equivalent of Jupiter).^[7]

Orbit

Thebe is the farthest of the inner Jovian moons. It orbits Jupiter at a distance of ~222,000 km (3.11 Jupiter radii). The orbit of Thebe has an orbital eccentricity of ~0.018 and an inclination of ~1.08° relative to the equator of Jupiter.^[2] These values are unusually high for a closer moon and can be explained by the past influence of the closest Galilean satellite Io; in the past, several mean motion resonances with Io would have passed through Thebe's orbit as Io gradually moved away from Jupiter, and these excited Thebe's orbit.^[8]

Physical characteristics

Thebe is not a sphere, with the closest ellipsoidal approximation being 116x98x84 km. Its bulk density and mass are not known but assuming that it mean density is like that of Amalthea (~0.86 g/cm³)^[3] its mass can be estimated at ~4.3×10¹⁷ kg.

The surface of Thebe is dark and appears to be reddish in color.^[4]

Exploration

Thebe was found in Voyager 1 images by Steve Synnott, a member of the Voyager navigation team.^[6] However, before the Galileo spacecraft arrived at Jupiter, little was known about it. Galileo imaged almost all of the surface of Thebe and put constraints on its composition.^[3]

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 ^1.3 ^1.4 ^1.5 ^1.6 Calculated on the basis of other parameters
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 ^2.3 ^2.4 Cooper, N.; Murray, C.; Porco, C.; Spitale, J. (2006). "Cassini ISS astrometric observations of the inner jovian satellites, Amalthea and Thebe". ICARUS. 181 (1): 223–234. Bibcode:2006Icar..181..223C. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2005.11.007.
↑ ^3.0 ^3.1 ^3.2 ^3.3 Thomas, P.C.; Burns, J.A.; Rossier, L.; Simonelli, D.; Veverka, J.; Chapman, C.R.; Klaasen, K.; Johnson, T.V.; Belton, M.J.S. (1998). "The Small Inner Satellites of Jupiter". ICARUS. 135 (1): 360–371. Bibcode:1998Icar..135..360T. doi:10.1006/icar.1998.5976.
↑ ^4.0 ^4.1 Simonelli, D. (2000). "Leading/Trailing Albedo Asymmetries of Thebe, Amalthea, and Metis". ICARUS. 147 (2): 353–365. Bibcode:2000Icar..147..353S. doi:10.1006/icar.2000.6474.
↑ IAUC 3470: Satellites of Jupiter 1980 April 28 (discovery)
↑ ^6.0 ^6.1 Synnott, S.P. (1980). "1979J2: The Discovery of a Previously Unknown Jovian Satellite". Science. 210 (4471): 786–788. Bibcode:1980Sci...210..786S. doi:10.1126/science.210.4471.786. PMID 17739548.
↑ IAUC 3872: Satellites of Jupiter and Saturn 1983 September 30 (naming the moon)
↑ Burns, J.A.; Simonelli, D.P. & Showalter, M.R. et al. (2004), "Jupiter’s Ring-Moon System", in Bagenal, F.; Dowling, T. E.; McKinnon, W. B., Jupiter: The planet, Satellites and Magnetosphere, Cambridge University Press

Other websites

Thebe Profile Archived 2007-06-08 at the Wayback Machine by NASA's Solar System Exploration

[stub-1] 1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 ^1.3 ^1.4 ^1.5 ^1.6 Calculated on the basis of other parameters

[Cooper2006-2] 2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 ^2.3 ^2.4 Cooper, N.; Murray, C.; Porco, C.; Spitale, J. (2006). "Cassini ISS astrometric observations of the inner jovian satellites, Amalthea and Thebe". ICARUS. 181 (1): 223–234. Bibcode:2006Icar..181..223C. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2005.11.007.

[Thomas1998-3] 3.0 ^3.1 ^3.2 ^3.3 Thomas, P.C.; Burns, J.A.; Rossier, L.; Simonelli, D.; Veverka, J.; Chapman, C.R.; Klaasen, K.; Johnson, T.V.; Belton, M.J.S. (1998). "The Small Inner Satellites of Jupiter". ICARUS. 135 (1): 360–371. Bibcode:1998Icar..135..360T. doi:10.1006/icar.1998.5976.

[Simonelli2000-4] 4.0 ^4.1 Simonelli, D. (2000). "Leading/Trailing Albedo Asymmetries of Thebe, Amalthea, and Metis". ICARUS. 147 (2): 353–365. Bibcode:2000Icar..147..353S. doi:10.1006/icar.2000.6474.

[5] IAUC 3470: Satellites of Jupiter 1980 April 28 (discovery)

[Synnott1980-6] 6.0 ^6.1 Synnott, S.P. (1980). "1979J2: The Discovery of a Previously Unknown Jovian Satellite". Science. 210 (4471): 786–788. Bibcode:1980Sci...210..786S. doi:10.1126/science.210.4471.786. PMID 17739548.

[7] IAUC 3872: Satellites of Jupiter and Saturn 1983 September 30 (naming the moon)

[Burns2004-8] Burns, J.A.; Simonelli, D.P. & Showalter, M.R. et al. (2004), "Jupiter’s Ring-Moon System", in Bagenal, F.; Dowling, T. E.; McKinnon, W. B., Jupiter: The planet, Satellites and Magnetosphere, Cambridge University Press

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v t e Moons of Jupiter
Listed in increasing approximate distance from Jupiter
Inner moons (4)	Metis Adrastea Amalthea Thebe
Galilean moons (4)	Io Europa Ganymede Callisto
Themisto group (1)	Themisto
Himalia group (9)	Leda Ersa S/2018 J 2 Himalia Pandia Lysithea Elara S/2011 J 3 Dia
Carpo group (2)	S/2018 J 4 Carpo
Valetudo group (1)	Valetudo
Ananke group (26)	Euporie Jupiter LV Eupheme S/2021 J 3 Jupiter LII Jupiter LIV Mneme Euanthe S/2003 J 16 Harpalyke Orthosie S/2022 J 3 Helike S/2021 J 2 Praxidike Jupiter LXIV S/2021 J 1 S/2003 J 12 Jupiter LXVIII Thelxinoe Thyone S/2003 J 2 Ananke Iocaste Hermippe Jupiter LXX
Carme group (30)	S/2022 J 1 S/2022 J 2 S/2016 J 3 Pasithee Jupiter LXIX S/2021 J 6 S/2003 J 24 Chaldene Jupiter LXIII Isonoe S/2021 J 4 Kallichore Erinome Kale Eirene Aitne Eukelade Arche Taygete Jupiter LXXII Carme Herse Jupiter LXI Jupiter LI S/2003 J 9 Jupiter LXVI Kalyke S/2018 J 3 S/2021 J 5 S/2003 J 10
Pasiphaë group (18)	Philophrosyne Eurydome Jupiter LVI S/2003 J 4 S/2016 J 4 Jupiter LXVII Hegemone Pasiphaë Sponde Megaclite Cyllene Sinope Jupiter LIX Aoede Autonoe Callirrhoe S/2003 J 23 Kore
Related page	Rings of Jupiter
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