Lysithea (moon) facts for kids
Discovered by
S. B. Nicholson
Discovery date
Lysithean
Avg. distance from the center of its orbital path
11,720,000 km
How long it takes to complete an orbit
259.20 d (0.69 a)
3.29 km/s
Angle above the reference plane
("inclination")
28.30° (to the ecliptic)
25.77° (to Jupiter's equator)
What it orbits
Size and other qualities
Average radius
~4100 km²
~24,400 km³
6.3×1016 kg
Average density
2.6 g/cm³ (assumed)
Surface gravity
~0.013 m/s2 (0.001 g)
~0.022 km/s
How much light it reflects
0.04 (assumed)
Avg. surface temp.
~124 K
Lysithea (/[unsupported input]laɪˈsɪθiə/ ly-SITH-ee-ə, /lᵻˈsɪθiə/ li-SITH-ee-ə; Greek: Λυσιθέα) is a prograde non-spherical moon of Jupiter. It was found by Seth Barnes Nicholson in 1938 at Mount Wilson Observatory and is named after the mythological Lysithea, daughter of Oceanus and one of Zeus' lovers.
Lysithea did not get its present name until 1975; before then, it was simply known as Jupiter X. It was sometimes called "Demeter" from 1955 to 1975.
It belongs to the Himalia group, five moons orbiting between 11,000,000 and 13,000,000 km from Jupiter at an inclination of about 28.3°. Its orbital elements are as of January 2000. They are changing a lot due to Solar and planetary perturbations.
Lysithea (moon) Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.