Who discovered the moon Thebe and when was it found?
Stephen P. Synnott discovered the moon Thebe in images from the Voyager 1 space probe taken on the 5th of March 1979. This discovery occurred while the spacecraft was making its flyby of Jupiter before any human had ever seen the moon.
When did officials officially name the moon Thebe after a mythological figure?
Officials officially named the moon Thebe in 1983 after the mythological nymph who was a lover of Zeus. The name honored the Greek equivalent of Jupiter for the first time in official records.
What are the orbital characteristics of the moon Thebe around Jupiter?
Thebe orbits Jupiter at a distance of about 222,000 km relative to the planet center with an eccentricity of 0.018 and an inclination of 1.08 degrees compared to Jupiter's equator. Past gravitational interactions with Io shaped the current trajectory over millions of years.
How large is the Zethus crater located on the surface of the moon Thebe?
Zethus crater spans about 40 km in diameter and stands as the largest named feature on the moon Thebe. Bright spots appear along the rim of this crater discovered by the Galileo spacecraft in January 2000.
Why does dust ejected from the moon Thebe create the surrounding gossamer ring?
Dust ejected from Thebe's surface creates the surrounding gossamer ring through constant meteorite impacts that allow particles to drift inward toward the planet under Poynting Robertson drag forces. Escape velocity at specific surface points allows dust to leave easily into space while planetary gravity pulls debris closer to Jupiter.