Mneme (moon) facts for kids

Mneme, also known as Jupiter XL, is one of the many moons that orbit the giant planet Jupiter. Unlike Earth's moon, Mneme is not perfectly round; it's a non-spherical moon, meaning it has an irregular shape. It was discovered in 2003 by a group of astronomers from the University of Hawaii. This team was led by Scott S. Sheppard. When it was first found, it was given the temporary name S/2003 J 21.

What is Mneme's Size and Orbit?

Mneme is quite small, only about 2 kilometres (about 1.2 miles) across. It travels around Jupiter at a very long distance, averaging 21,427,000 kilometres (about 13.3 million miles). One full trip around Jupiter takes Mneme 640.769 days, which is almost two Earth years!

Its path around Jupiter is tilted. This tilt, called an inclination, is about 149 degrees compared to the ecliptic (the path the Sun seems to take across the sky). It's also tilted about 148 degrees to Jupiter's equator. Mneme's orbit is not a perfect circle; it's a bit stretched out, which astronomers call an orbital eccentricity of 0.2214.

How Did Mneme Get Its Name?

This moon received its official name in March 2005. It was named after Mneme, who was one of the three original Muses in ancient Greek mythology. The Muses were goddesses of inspiration for arts and sciences. Sometimes, Mneme is confused with Mnemosyne, who was the mother of the Muses. Mnemosyne had the Muses with Zeus, who is the Greek god equivalent to the Roman god Jupiter.

What Group Does Mneme Belong To?

Mneme is part of a family of moons called the Ananke group. These are moons that orbit Jupiter in a "retrograde" direction, meaning they move opposite to Jupiter's spin. Like Mneme, they are also not perfectly round. The moons in the Ananke group orbit Jupiter at distances between 19,300,000 and 22,700,000 kilometres. Their orbits are all tilted by about 150 degrees.

See also

In Spanish: Mnemea (satélite) para niños