Metis

Also known as Jupiter XVI, S / 1979 J3

moon of Jupiter

AI overview

Metis is a small moon orbiting Jupiter that was discovered in 1979 by the Voyager 1 spacecraft. It is notable for orbiting closer to Jupiter than any other known moon and for being part of Jupiter's complex system of satellites that scientists study to better understand planetary formation and evolution.

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Wikidata facts

Mass: 120
Image: Metis.jpg

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time of discovery or invention: 1979-03-04
Commons category: Metis (moon)
albedo: 0.06
orbital eccentricity: 0.0012
semi-major axis of an orbit: 128000

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Article

Metis /ˈmiːtɪs/, also known as Jupiter XVI, is the innermost known moon of Jupiter. It was discovered in 1979 in images taken by Voyager 1, and was named in 1983 after the Titaness Metis, the first wife of Zeus and the mother of Athena. Additional observations made between early 1996 and September 2003 by the Galileo spacecraft allowed its surface to be imaged.

Metis is tidally locked to Jupiter, and its shape is strongly asymmetrical, with the largest diameter being almost twice as large as the smallest one. It is also one of the two moons known to orbit Jupiter in less than the length of Jupiter's day, the other being Adrastea. It orbits within the main ring of Jupiter, and is thought to be a major contributor of ring material.