Taygete.space

Irregular moon of Jupiter (retrograde) · Outer Jovian system · Carme group

Taygete

Jupiter XX · S/2000 J 9

A five-kilometre Jupiter moon that shares its name with a star in the Pleiades.

Key factsBinocular picker for star clusters
Taygete at a glance
Object typeIrregular, retrograde moon of Jupiter[1]
GroupCarme group[1]
DiscoveredNov. 25, 2000, Mauna Kea, Hawaii[2]
DiscoverersS. S. Sheppard, D. C. Jewitt, Y. R. Fernandez, E. Magnier[2]
NamedOctober 2002, after Taygete of the Pleiades[1]
Size≈ 5 km across (assuming 4% albedo)[1]
ColourLight red (B−V 0.56, V−R 0.52), like D-type asteroids[1]
Mean distance≈ 23.1 million km from Jupiter[3]
Orbital period≈ 718 days[3]
Inclination≈ 165° (retrograde)[3]
Eccentricity≈ 0.26[3]

One name, two skies

Taygete the moon is named after Taygete, one of the seven Pleiades — daughter of the Titan Atlas, and mother of Lacedaemon by Zeus.[1][6] The same sisters gave their names to the Pleiades star cluster in Taurus, one of the most obvious star clusters to the naked eye.[7]

A member of the Carme group

Taygete belongs to the Carme group: a tight cluster of retrograde moons at 22.7–23.6 million km from Jupiter, inclined about 165°, with eccentricities of 0.24–0.28.[4] Its own mean orbit — 23.1 million km, 164.7°, e ≈ 0.26 — sits squarely inside it.[3]

Light red, like its siblings

Like most Carme-group moons (Kalyke is the exception), Taygete is light red, with colour indices B−V = 0.56 and V−R = 0.52 — similar to D-type asteroids.[1] D-types are dark, reddish bodies found in the outer asteroid belt and beyond, including most Jupiter trojans.[8]

A shard of a captured asteroid

Taygete probably did not form near Jupiter. Like the rest of its group, it is likely a remnant of a broken, captured asteroid.[1] The parent was probably about the size of Carme, 46 km across, and Carme still holds 99% of the group’s mass.[4]

Binocular picker for star clusters

The Pleiades — home of the star Taygete — are a classic binocular target. Answer five quick questions and we’ll suggest binocular sizes and types that suit your eyes, sky and budget — with links to browse current models.

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Orbit

Taygete moves backwards around Jupiter between about 17.2 and 29.0 million km, once every 718 days.[3]

Jupiter Callisto (1.88 million km)Himalia (11.44 million km) farthest ≈ 29.0 million km closest ≈ 17.2 million km
Top-down orbit of Taygete to scale, computed from JPL orbital elements (a ≈ 23.1 million km, e ≈ 0.257).[3] Callisto and Himalia orbits shown for comparison.[3] Mean orbital elements; the real orbit is tilted steeply and shifts over time, so this top-down view flattens it onto one plane.

See the other Taygete

The moon is far too faint for any amateur telescope. The star Taygete is easy: the Pleiades are visible from most places on Earth, even with significant light pollution, and the brightest six or seven stars can be seen with the naked eye.[7] Binoculars are a great way to see more — our binocular picker can help.

Read more

Taygete in two skies: a moon and a Pleiad

How one figure from Greek myth ended up naming both a star in Taurus and a moon of Jupiter.

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The Carme group: Jupiter’s tightest moon family

Why Taygete and its siblings are thought to be pieces of one body.

Read →

Seeing the Pleiades — and Taygete — for yourself

What the Seven Sisters look like to the eye and through binoculars.

Read →

Sources

  1. Taygete (moon) — Wikipedia
  2. Taygete — NASA Science
  3. Planetary Satellite Mean Elements — NASA JPL Solar System Dynamics
  4. Carme group — Wikipedia
  5. Moons of Jupiter — Wikipedia
  6. Pleiades (Greek mythology) — Wikipedia
  7. Pleiades — Wikipedia
  8. D-type asteroid — Wikipedia

Figures are rounded; where sources differ we note it. Spotted an error? Tell us.