Helike (moon)

Helike (pron-en|ˈhɛlɨki "HEL-ə-kee," or as in Greek "Ἑλίκη)," also known as nowrap|Jupiter XLV, is a moon of Jupiter. It was discovered by a team of astronomers from the University of Hawaii led by Scott S. Sheppard in 2003, and given the temporary designation nowrap|S/2003 J 6. [ [http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/iauc/08000/08087.html IAUC 8087: "Satellites of Jupiter"] 2003 March 4 (discovery)] [ [http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/iau/mpec/K03/K03E11.html MPEC 2003-E11: "S/2003 J 1, 2003 J 2, 2003 J 3, 2003 J 4, 2003 J 5, 2003 J 6, 2003 J 7"] 2003 March 4 (discovery and ephemeris)] [ [http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/mpec/K03/K03E29.html MPEC 2003-E29: "S/2003 J 9, 2003 J 10, 2003 J 11, 2003 J 12; S/2003 J 1, 2003 J 6"] 2003 April 3 (revised ephemeris)]

Helike is about 4 kilometres in diameter, and orbits Jupiter at an average distance of 20,540 Mm in 601.402 days, at an inclination of 155° to the ecliptic (156° to Jupiter's equator), in a retrograde direction and with an eccentricity of 0.1375.

It was named in March 2005 after Helike, one of the nymphs that nurtured Zeus (Jupiter) in his infancy on Crete. [ [http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/iauc/08500/08502.html IAUC 8502: "Satellites of Jupiter"] 2005 March 30 (naming the moon)]

Helike belongs to the Ananke group, retrograde irregular moons which orbit Jupiter between 19.3 and 22.7 Gm, at inclinations of roughly 150°.

References