Carme (moon)

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Carme

Discovery
Discovered by	S. B. Nicholson
Discovered in	July 30, 1938
Orbital characteristics
Mean radius	23,734,465 km (0.15866 AU)
Eccentricity	0.3122
Periapsis	16,324,700 km (0.109 AU)
Apoapsis	31,144,200 km (0.208 AU)
Orbital period	747.008062 d (2.045 a)
Orbital circumference	145,425,000 km (0.972 AU)
Orbital velocity	max: 3.191 km/s mean: 2.253 km/s min: 1.673 km/s
Inclination	165.54° (to the ecliptic) 167.53° (to Jupiter's equator)
Is a satellite of	Jupiter
Physical characteristics
Mean diameter	46 km
Surface area	~6600 km²
Volume	~51,000 km³
Mass	1.3×1017 kg
Mean density	2.6 g/cm³
Surface gravity	~0.017 m/s2 (0.0017 g)
Escape velocity	~0.028 km/s
Rotation period	?
Axial tilt	?°
Albedo	0.04
Surface temp.	min mean max K ~124 K K
Atmospheric pressure	0 kPa

Carme (kar'-mee, IPA: [ˈkɑrmi]; Greek Κάρμη) is a retrograde irregular satellite of Jupiter. It was discovered by Seth Barnes Nicholson at Mount Wilson Observatory in California in July 1938. It is named after the mythological Carme, mother by Zeus of Britomartis, a Cretan goddess.

Carme did not receive its present name until 1975; before then, it was simply known as Jupiter XI. It was sometimes called "Pan". Note that Pan is now the name of a satellite of Saturn.

It gives its name to the Carme group, made up of irregular retrograde moons orbiting Jupiter at a distance ranging between 23 and 24 Gm and at an inclination of about 165°.

This moon should not be confused with the asteroid 558 Carmen.

[edit] External links

• Seth B. Nicholson, "Two new satellites of Jupiter", PASP 50 (1938) 292–293

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