Definitions

Phoebe

Phoebe

[fee-bee]
Phoebe, in the Bible: see Phebe.
Phoebe, in astronomy, one of the named moons, or natural satellites, of Saturn. 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 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 orbits with retrograde motion, 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) suggest that Phoebe is a captured object similar to a comet or asteroid rather than a native satellite.
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: see flycatcher.

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.

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Phoebe or Phebe is a female given name.

Mythology

Nature

  • Phoebe (plant), a genus of flowering plants in the Lauraceae family
  • Phoebe (bird), the common name for birds of genus Sayornis in the tyrant flycatcher family
  • Phoebe (moon), a small outer moon of Saturn

Books

==Film and television==

Games

Music

Religion

  • Phoebe (Christian woman), a Corinthian woman mentioned by the Apostle Paul in Romans 16:1 as a deaconess of the early Christian church

Science and technology

Transportation

  • Phoebe Snow (character) was a fictional character created to promote the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad, and, in later years, the name of a pair of passenger trains
  • HMS Phoebe

See also

  • Phoebus, another mythological figure

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