Autonoe (moon)

Autonoe is a small, irregular moon of Jupiter. It was discovered in 2001 by a team of astronomers led by Scott S. Sheppard, David C. Jewitt, and Jan Kleyna, and given the temporary designation S/2001 J 1. It was later named after Autonoe, one of the many lovers of Zeus (the Greek equivalent of the Roman god Jupiter) in Greek mythology. Autonoe was the mother of Erythrus by Zeus.

Autonoe belongs to the Pasiphae group, a family of retrograde irregular moons orbiting Jupiter at a similar distance and inclination. Its orbital period is approximately 719 days. The moon has an estimated diameter of about 4 kilometers, and a relatively dark surface, reflecting only a small percentage of sunlight. Its irregular shape and retrograde orbit suggest that Autonoe is likely a captured asteroid or fragment resulting from collisions between larger asteroids. The characteristics of Autonoe are determined by analyzing its orbit, size and albedo. There is no confirmed information about it from in-situ missions.