Metis
Jupiter XVI - 1979J3

Metis [MEE-tis] is the innermost known satellite of Jupiter. It was named after a Titaness who was a consort of Zeus (Jupiter). Metis and Adrastea lie within Jupiter's main ring and may be the source of material for the ring. Very little is known about Metis.

Metis Statistics
Discovered by | Stephen Synnott
Date of discovery | 1979
Mass (kg) | 9.56e+16
Mass (Earth = 1) | 1.5997e-08
Equatorial radius (km) | 20
Equatorial radius (Earth = 1) | 3.1358e-03
Mean density (gm/cm^3) | 2.8
Mean distance from Jupiter (km) | 127,969
Rotational period (days) | ?
Orbital period (days) | 0.294779
Mean orbital velocity (km/sec) | 31.57
Orbital eccentricity | 0.0000
Orbital inclination (degrees) | 0.0000
Escape velocity (km/sec) | 0.0253
Visual geometric albedo | 0.05
Magnitude (Vo) | 17.5

Views of Metis

Metis
This image of Metis was taken by the Voyager 1 spacecraft on March 4, 1979. Metis is the small dark dot above the arrow. (Credit: Calvin J. Hamilton)

References

Synnott, S. P. "1979J3: Discovery of a Previously Unknown Satellite of Jupiter." Science, Vol 212, 19 June 1981.

Synnott, S. P. "Orbits of the Small Inner Satellites of Jupiter." Icarus 58, 1984.

Jupiter Adrastea

Copyright © 1997 by Calvin J. Hamilton. All rights reserved.