Thebe:
A Moon of Volcanoes
- Following the 1979 flight of Voyagers 1 & 2 through Jupiter's system, Scientists began studying photos.
- Thirteen moons were known prior to these flights.
- A fourteenth moon was believed photographed from Earth in 1975.
- Three new moons were discovered, but "J14" failed to appear.
- This object may have been a temporarily captured comet.
- Two small moons orbit at the edge of the ring:
- They are about 35-40 km (21-25 miles) across.
- They may be the sources of some of the ring's dust.
- Thebe (pronounced THEE-bee) is larger:
- About 100 km (60 miles) across.
- Thebe also orbits much farther from Jupiter, between the orbits of Amalthea and Io.
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