Harpalyke , also known as , is a little retrograde irregular satellite of Jupiter.
It was discovered by a team of astronomers from the University of Hawaiûi led by Scott S. Sheppard in 2000, and given the temporary designation .
In August 2003, the moon was named after Harpalyce, the incestuous daughter of Clymenus, who in some accounts was also a lover of Zeus (Jupiter).
The satellite orbits Jupiter at an average distance of 21,280,180 km in 634.19 days, at an inclination of 148ð to the ecliptic with an eccentricity of 0.160. Its orbit is continuously changing due to solar and planetary perturbations.
It belongs to the Ananke group, made up a tightly of irregular retrograde moons orbiting Jupiter at a distance ranging between 19âÂÂ22 million km, inclinations between 144 and 156ð, and eccentricities between 0.10 and 0.30.
It is about 4 kilometres in diameter (assumed albedo 4%) and appears grey (color index R-V=0.43), similar to C-type asteroids.
Iocaste probably did not form near Jupiter but was captured by Jupiter later.Like the other members of the Ananke group, which have similar orbits, Iocaste is probably the remnant of a broken, captured heliocentric asteroid.