Phoebe, in astronomy

Phoebe (fē`bē), in astronomy, one of the named moons, or natural satellites, of Saturn Saturn, in astronomy, 6th planet from the sun.

Astronomical and Physical Characteristics of Saturn

Saturn's orbit lies between those of Jupiter and Uranus; its mean distance from the sun is c.886 million mi (1.
..... Click the link for more information. . Also known as Saturn IX (or S9), Phoebe is 137 mi (220 km) in diameter, orbits Saturn at a mean distance of 8,047,985 mi (12,952,000 km), has an orbital period of 550.5 earth days, and rotates on its axis in about nine hours. The outermost of the known satellites, Phoebe was discovered by American astronomer William H. Pickering Pickering, William Henry, 1858–1938, American astronomer, b. Boston, grad. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (B.S., 1879). He taught at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1880–87) and at Harvard Observatory.
..... Click the link for more information. in 1898. Phoebe's reflectivity is very low, and it appears to be composed of a mix of ice and rock. Its orbit is inclined 175° to Saturn; that is, its north pole is almost aligned with the planet's south pole. Phoebe is the only one of the moons that orbits with retrograde motion retrograde motion, in astronomy, real or apparent movement of a planet, dwarf planet, moon, asteroid, or comet from east to west relative to the fixed stars.
..... Click the link for more information. , i.e., opposite to that of the planet's rotation. The sharp inclination of its orbit, its retrograde motion, and the resemblance of its apparent density and composition to Kuiper belt objects (see comet comet [Gr.,=longhaired], a small celestial body consisting mostly of dust and gases that moves in an elongated elliptical or nearly parabolic orbit around the sun. Comets visible from the earth can be seen for periods ranging from a few days to several months.
..... Click the link for more information. ) suggest that Phoebe is a captured object similar to a comet or asteroid rather than a native satellite.

Phoebe, in Greek mythology

Phoebe, in Greek mythology, a Titan. She was the mother of Leto and Asteria and the grandmother of Artemis. In some legends she was identified with Artemis as the goddess of the moon.

phoebe, in zoology

phoebe, in zoology: see flycatcher flycatcher, common name for various members of the Old World family Muscicapidae, insectivorous songbirds including the kingbirds, phoebes, and pewees. Flycatchers vary in color from drab to brilliant, as in the crested monarch and paradise flycatchers of Asia and
..... Click the link for more information. .

Phoebe, in the Bible

Phoebe, in the Bible: see Phebe Phebe or Phoebe (both: fē`bē), in the New Testament, deaconess at Cenchrea.
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phoebe

Any of three species (family Tyrannidae, suborder Tyranni) of suboscine passerines with a habit of twitching their tail when perching. The eastern phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) of North America is 7.5 in. (18 cm) long, plain brownish gray above, and paler below. Its call is a brisk “fee-bee” uttered over and over. It makes a mossy nest, strengthened with mud, on a ledge, often under a bridge. Say's phoebe (S. saya), a slightly larger bird with buff-hued underparts, occurs in open country in western North America. The black phoebe (S. nigricans), occurring from the southwestern U.S. to Argentina, is dark above with a white belly.

Phoebe

moon as sister of sun (Phoebus). [Gk. Myth.: Brewer Dictionary, 726–727]

See : Moon