Himalia (moon)

This article is about Jupiter's irregular moon. For the mythological figure, see Himalia (mythology).
Himalia
Low-resolution image of Himalia from Cassini, December 2000
Discovery[1]
Discovered byCharles D. Perrine
Discovery siteLick Observatory
Discovery date3 December 1904
Designations
Designation
Jupiter VI
Pronunciation/hɪˈmeɪliə/ or /hɪˈmɑːliə/[2]
Named after
Ἱμαλία Himalia
AdjectivesHimalian[3]
Orbital characteristics[4]
Epoch 27 April 2019 (JD 2458600.5)
Observation arc114.25 yr (41,728 days)
0.0761287 AU (11,388,690 km)
Eccentricity0.1537860
+248.29 d
94.30785°
1° 26m 59.616s / day
Inclination29.90917° (to the ecliptic)
44.99935°
21.60643°
Satellite ofJupiter
GroupHimalia group
Physical characteristics
Dimensions205.6 × 141.3 km (occultation, projected)[5]
150±20 × 120±20 km (Cassini estimate)[6]
139.6±1.7 km[7]
Mass(4.2±0.6)×1018 kg[8]
Mean density
1.63 g/cm3 (assuming radius 85 km)[8][a]
~ 0.062 m/s2 (0.006 g)
~ 0.100 km/s
7.7819±0.0005 h[9]
Albedo0.057±0.008[7]
Spectral type
C[7]
14.6[10]
7.9[4]

Himalia (/hɪˈmeɪliə, hɪˈmɑːliə/), also known as Jupiter VI, is the largest irregular satellite of Jupiter. With a diameter of at least 140 km (90 mi),[5] it is the sixth largest Jovian satellite, after the four Galilean moons and Amalthea. It was discovered by Charles Dillon Perrine at the Lick Observatory on 3 December 1904 and is named after the nymph Himalia, who bore three sons of Zeus (the Greek equivalent of Jupiter).[1] It is one of the largest planetary moons in the Solar System not imaged in detail, and the third largest not imaged in detail within the orbit of Neptune.[b]

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Discovery was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Daintith & Gould (2006) The Facts on File Dictionary of Astronomy, p. 216
  3. ^ Yenne (1987) The Atlas of the Solar System.
  4. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference MPC115889 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference occultation was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Porco2003 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference Grav2015 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Emelyanov2005 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference Pilcher2012 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference jplssd was invoked but never defined (see the help page).


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