Thelxinoe (moon)

Thelxinoe (/θɛlkˈsɪnoʊˌiː/ thelk-SIN-o-ee; Greek: Θελξινόη), also known as Jupiter XLII, is a natural satellite of Jupiter. It was discovered by a team of astronomers from the University of Hawaii led by Scott S. Sheppard in 2004 from pictures taken in 2003, and originally received the temporary designation S/2003 J 22.[1][2]

Thelxinoe is about 2 kilometres in diameter, and orbits Jupiter at an average distance of 20,454 Mm in 597.607 days, at an inclination of 151° to the ecliptic (153° to Jupiter's equator), in a retrograde direction and with an eccentricity of 0.2685.

It was named in March 2005 after Thelxinoe, one of the four original Muses according to some Greek writers, and a daughter of Zeus (Jupiter) by Mnemosyne.[3]

Thelxinoe belongs to the Ananke group, retrograde irregular moons which orbit Jupiter between 19.3 and 22.7 Gm, at inclinations of roughly 150°.

References

  1. ↑ IAUC 8276: S/2003 J 22 2004 January 25 (discovery)
  2. ↑ MPEC 2004-B41: S/2003 J 22 2004 January 24 (discovery and ephemeris)
  3. ↑ IAUC 8502: Satellites of Jupiter 2005 March 30 (naming the moon)
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