Iocaste (moon) facts for kids

Iocaste, also known as Jupiter XXIV, is one of the many moons orbiting the giant planet Jupiter. Unlike Earth's Moon, Iocaste is not perfectly round. It has an irregular shape, much like a potato.

Scientists discovered Iocaste in the year 2000. A team of astronomers from the University of Hawaii, led by Scott S. Sheppard, found this small moon. When it was first found, it was given the temporary name S/2000 J 3.

Orbiting Jupiter

Iocaste travels around Jupiter at a great distance. On average, it is about 20,723,000 kilometers (about 12.8 million miles) away from the planet.

It takes Iocaste a long time to complete one orbit around Jupiter. One full trip takes about 609 Earth days. This moon also has a tilted and somewhat oval-shaped orbit.

Where Did the Name Iocaste Come From?

The moon Iocaste was officially named in October 2002. Its name comes from Jocasta, a character in ancient Greek mythology. In these old stories, Jocasta was the mother and wife of a hero named Oedipus. Many of Jupiter's moons are named after characters from Greek and Roman myths.

Part of a Moon Family

Iocaste is part of a group of moons called the Ananke group. Scientists believe that these moons are all pieces of a larger asteroid. This asteroid was likely captured by Jupiter's strong gravity a very long time ago. Then, it broke apart into many smaller pieces, forming this family of moons.

What Iocaste Looks Like

Iocaste is a small moon, only about 5 kilometers (about 3 miles) wide. That's roughly the size of a small town! Its surface appears grey. This grey color is similar to what we see on certain types of C-type asteroids. This supports the idea that Iocaste might be a fragment of a larger asteroid.

See also

In Spanish: Yocasta (satélite) para niños