| Thebe | |
|---|---|
 Thebe in Celestia. | |
|
Discoverer |
Stephen P. Synnot (with the aid of Voyager 1) |
|
Date of Discovery |
March 5, 1979 |
|
Surface Color |
Grey |
|
Alternate Name(s) |
Jupiter XIV |
Thebe, also known as Jupiter XIV, is an irregular shaped moon belonging to the outer planet of Jupiter. It is the second largest inner moon belonging to the planet of Jupiter. It was discovered by Stephen P. Synnot with the aid from images from the space probe, Voyager 1 on March 5, 1979. It is a part of the Thebe Gossamer Ring, a ring three times thinner than the Amalthea Gossamer Ring.
Formation
Thebe was believed to have been a stray asteroid from the neighboring Asteroid belt and was later pulled in by Jupiter's gravitational pull. This theory is supported due to the visible color spectrum of this moon matches that of a C-type asteroid, which make up 75% of the Asteroid belt.
Surface
The surface shows a visible spectrum of grey, which matches those of C-type asteroids, which are very populous in the Asteroid belt. The infrared spectrum shows spectrums still matching those of asteroids that contain porous ice water or carbon-based gases.
Orbit
Thebe is orbiting on the outer edge of the Thebe Gossamer Ring, a ring created by the planet's own dust. After the dust is ejected, it runs back in the direction of Thebe's home planet, Jupiter. This action also causes dust to travel into the moon in an inward motion.