Isonoe (moon)


Isonoe, also known as , is a little retrograde irregular satellite of Jupiter.

Discovery and Naming

It was discovered by a team of astronomers from the University of Hawaiʻi led by Scott S. Sheppard in 2000, and given the temporary designation .
It was named in October 2002 after Isonoe, one of the Danaïdes in Greek mythology, and a lover of Zeus.

Orbit

Isonoe orbits Jupiter at an average distance of 23,322,670 km in 691,62 days, at an inclination of 165° to the ecliptic, in a retrograde direction and with an eccentricity of 0.226.
It belongs to the Carme group, made up a tightly of irregular retrograde moons orbiting Jupiter at a distance ranging between 22.7–23.5 million km, at an inclination of about 165°, and eccentricities between 0.24 and 0.28.

Physical characteristics

Isonoe' estimated diameter is 4 kilometers, assuming an albedo of 4%.
Like the other members of the Carme group it is light red in color, similar to D-type asteroids.

Origin

Isonoe probably did not form near Jupiter but was captured by Jupiter later.Like the other members of the Carme group, which have similar orbits, Isonoe is probably the remnant of a broken, captured heliocentric asteroid.