Isonoe (Jupiter XXVI) is a small, irregular moon orbiting Jupiter. It was discovered in 2000 and is a member of a group of distant, retrograde satellites around the planet. The satellite is roughly 3.8 kilometres across and follows an eccentric, retrograde orbit taking about 751.647 days to complete one revolution.
Discovery
Isonoe was identified by a team from the University of Hawaii led by Scott S. Sheppard in 2000. On discovery it received the provisional label S/2000 J 6.
Orbit and physical characteristics
The moon is classified as an irregular, non-spherical body with an estimated diameter of about 3.8 km. Its average orbital distance from Jupiter is approximately 23,833,000 km, and it completes one orbit in 751.647 days. The orbit is inclined about 166° to the ecliptic (about 169° relative to Jupiter's equator), which places it on a retrograde path. Isonoe's orbit has an eccentricity of 0.166, indicating it is noticeably elliptical (orbital eccentricity refers to this property).
Name
In October 2002 the satellite was given the name Isonoe, after one of the Danaides in Greek myth who was also described as a lover of Zeus (the Greek counterpart of Jupiter).
Group membership
Isonoe is part of the Carme group, a collection of non-spherical, retrograde moons that orbit Jupiter at distances between about 23,000,000 and 24,000,000 km and share inclinations near 165°.