Metis (moon)

Metis

Image of Metis was taken by Galileo's
solid state imaging system between
November 1996 and June 1997.

Discovery
Discovered by S. Synnott
Discovered on March 4, 1979
Orbital characteristics
Mean radius 127,691 km (0.000854 AU)
Eccentricity 0.0012
Periastron 127,540 km (0.000853 AU)
Apastron 127,840 km (0.000855 AU)
Revolution period 0.294780 d (7 h 4.5 min)
Orbital circumference 802,300 km (0.005 AU)
Orbital velocity max: 31.539 km/s
mean: 31.501 km/s
min: 31.464 km/s
Inclination 2.22° (to the ecliptic)
0.00° (to Jupiter's equator)
Is a satellite of Jupiter
Physical characteristics
Mean diameter 43 km
Surface area ~5800 km2
Volume ~41,600 km3
Mass 1.2×1017 kg
Mean density 3.0 g/cm3
Surface gravity 0.016 m/s2 (0.002 g)
Escape velocity 0.027 km/s
Rotation period synchronous
Rotation velocity 19 km/h
Axial tilt zero
Albedo 0.06
Surface temp.
min mean max
K ~123 K K
Atmospheric pressure 0 kPa

Metis (IPA: /ˈmiːtɪs/, mee'-tis, Greek Μήτις) is the innermost member of the Jupiter's small inner moons.

The moon was discovered in 1979 by the Voyager 1 probe and was designated S/1979 J 3. In 1983 it was officially named after the mythological Metis, a Titaness who was the first wife of Zeus and the mother of Athena. It is also designated Jupiter XVI.

Metis lies within Jupiter's main planetary ring, and may be the source of the material that comprises it. Its orbit lies inside Jupiter's synchronous orbit radius (as does Adrastea's), and as a result, tidal forces are slowly causing its orbit to decay. It is also within its density's fluid Roche limit, but not its rigid Roche limit, and so avoids tidal disruption.

Metis, the moon of Jupiter, is not to be confused with the asteroid 9 Metis.



















... | Jupiter | Metis | Adrastea | ...






Jupiter's natural satellitesedit

Inner satellites | Galilean moons: Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto | Themisto | Himalia group | Carpo | S/2003 J 12 | Ananke group | Carme group | Pasiphaë group | S/2003 J 2

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