Moon of Jupiter
Pasiphae
Pasiphae is a moon. It orbits Jupiter. It is about 57 km across – about as wide as Switzerland. Pasiphae orbits Jupiter “the wrong way round” (retrograde) – a clear sign that it was captured.
Fact file
- Type
- Moon of Jupiter
- Diameter
- 57 km
- Distance from Jupiter
- 23,624,000 km
- Orbital period
- 2 years
- Temperature
- -155 °C on average
Pasiphae orbits Jupiter.
Interesting facts about Pasiphae
- Pasiphae orbits Jupiter “the wrong way round” (retrograde) – a clear sign that it was captured.
- It is more than 23 million km from Jupiter and takes about two years to complete one orbit.
- Discovered in 1908 on photographic plates at the Greenwich observatory.
Frequently asked questions about Pasiphae
How big is Pasiphae?
Pasiphae has a diameter of 57 km. That is about 1.6% of the diameter of our Moon.
How far is Pasiphae from Jupiter?
Pasiphae orbits Jupiter at an average distance of 23.6 million km.
How long does Pasiphae take to orbit Jupiter?
Pasiphae orbits Jupiter once every 2 Earth years.
How cold or warm is it on Pasiphae?
On Pasiphae the average temperature is −155 °C.
Formation
Probably the remnant of a captured asteroid; together with similar moons it forms the Pasiphae group.
Atmosphere
No atmosphere.
Exploration
Observed only through telescopes; no close-up photo exists.
Compared with Earth
Around 60 km across.
Other moons of Jupiter
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