Autonoe (moon)

Autonoe (pron-en|ɔːˈtɒnoʊi "aw-TON-oh-ee," or as in Greek "Αυτονόη)," also known as nowrap|Jupiter XXVIII, is a natural satellite of Jupiter. It was discovered by a team of astronomers from the University of Hawaii led by Scott S. Sheppard in 2001, and given the temporary designation nowrap|S/2001 J 1. [ [http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/iauc/07900/07900.html IAUC 7900: "Satellites of Jupiter"] 2002 May 16 (discovery)] [ [http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/mpec/K02/K02J54.html MPEC 2002-J54: "Eleven New Satellites of Jupiter"] 2002 May 15 (discovery and ephemeris)] [ [http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/mpec/K02/K02V03.html MPEC 2002-V03: "S/2001 J 1"] 2002 November 1 (revised ephemeris)]

Autonoe is about 4 kilometres in diameter, and orbits Jupiter at an average distance of 24,264 Mm in 772.168 days, at an inclination of 151° to the ecliptic (150° to Jupiter's equator), in a retrograde direction and with an eccentricity of 0.369.

It belongs to the Pasiphaë group, irregular retrograde moons orbiting Jupiter at distances ranging between 22.8 and 24.1 Gm, and with inclinations ranging between 144.5° and 158.3°.

Autonoe was named in August 2003 after the Greek mythological figure Autonoe , conquest of Zeus (Jupiter) [ [http://www.iau.org/SATELLITES_OF_PLANETS.248.0.html IAU Website: Satellites of Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus] ] , mother of the Charites (Gracies), according to some authors [ [http://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/append7.html USGS Astrogeology: Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature - Planetary Body Names and Discoverers] ] .

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