Aoede (moon) facts for kids
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Scott S. Sheppard et al. |
| Discovery date | 2003 |
| Designations | |
| MPC designation | Jupiter XLI |
|
Named after
|
Ἀοιδή Aoidē |
| S/2003 J 7 | |
| Adjectives | Aoedean |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| 23981000 km | |
| Eccentricity | 0.432 |
| −761.5 days | |
| Inclination | 158.3° |
| Satellite of | Jupiter |
| Physical characteristics | |
|
Mean radius
|
5.1 km |
| Mass | 1.4×1015 kg |
|
Mean density
|
2.6 g/cm3 (assumed) |
| Albedo | 0.04 (assumed) |
| 22.5 | |
| 14.11±0.42 | |
Aoede, also known as Jupiter XLI, is one of Jupiter's many moons! It's quite small compared to some of Jupiter's bigger moons, but it's still an interesting little world in its own right.
Discovery
Aoede wasn't always known to us. It was discovered by a team of clever astronomers from the University of Hawaii. These astronomers were led by a scientist named Scott S. Sheppard. They found Aoede in 2003. When astronomers discover a new moon, they give it a temporary name. Aoede's temporary name was S/2003 J 7. This name might sound a bit like a code, but it's just how astronomers keep track of new discoveries before they get an official name.
Size and orbit
Aoede is about 10 kilometers in diameter. It travels around Jupiter at an average distance of 23,044,000 kilometers. It takes Aoede about 714.657 days to make one complete trip around Jupiter. That's almost two Earth years!
The way Aoede orbits Jupiter is a bit unusual. It goes around Jupiter in a direction that is opposite to the way Jupiter spins. This is called a retrograde orbit. Also, Aoede's orbit is tilted at a very steep angle compared to Jupiter's equator.
Naming
After it was discovered, the astronomers had to give Aoede a proper name. In March 2005, they decided to name it after Aœde. In Greek mythology, Aœde was one of the three original Muses. The Muses were goddesses of the arts and sciences, and they inspired people to create beautiful things. Aœde was the Muse of song. She was said to be a daughter of Zeus (who is the same as the Roman god Jupiter) and Mnemosyne (who was the goddess of memory).
The Pasiphae group
Aoede is part of a group of moons called the Pasiphae group. These moons are all irregular, which means they don't have nice, round orbits like some other moons. They also orbit Jupiter in a retrograde direction, meaning they go around the planet the opposite way to how Jupiter spins. The moons in the Pasiphae group are all quite far away from Jupiter, orbiting at distances between 22.8 and 24.1 million kilometers. Their orbits are also tilted at steep angles, ranging between 144.5 and 158.3 degrees.
Why study moons like Aoede?
You might wonder why scientists spend time studying tiny moons like Aoede. Well, studying these moons can help us learn a lot about the solar system. They can tell us about how Jupiter formed and how the solar system evolved over billions of years. By looking at the orbits of these moons, we can also learn about the gravity and mass of Jupiter.
See also
In Spanish: Aedea (satélite) para niños
