Euporie (moon) facts for kids
Euporie or Jupiter XXXIV is a moon that goes around the giant planet Jupiter. Scientists found this moon in 2001. A team from the University of Hawaii, led by Scott S. Sheppard, made this exciting discovery. When it was first found, it was called S/2001 J 10.
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About Euporie
Euporie is a very small moon. It is only about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) wide. This makes it one of Jupiter's tiny moons.
Its Journey Around Jupiter
Euporie orbits Jupiter very far away. Its average distance from Jupiter is about 19,088,000 kilometers (11,860,000 miles). It takes Euporie a long time to complete one trip around Jupiter. It finishes one orbit in about 539 days. That's almost a year and a half on Earth!
Euporie's path around Jupiter is also quite tilted. This tilt is called its inclination. Euporie's orbit is tilted about 145 degrees compared to Jupiter's equator. Its orbit is also a bit oval-shaped, which scientists call its orbital eccentricity.
How Euporie Got Its Name
The moon Euporie got its official name in August 2003. It was named after a figure from Greek mythology.
A Goddess of Abundance
In ancient Greek stories, Euporie was a goddess. She was known as the goddess of abundance. Euporie was also one of the Horae, who were goddesses of the seasons and natural order. She was believed to be a daughter of Zeus, the king of the gods in Greek myths.
Part of a Moon Family
Euporie is not alone in its journey around Jupiter. It belongs to a group of moons called the Ananke group.
The Ananke Group
The Ananke group is made up of moons that orbit Jupiter in a special way. These moons move backward compared to Jupiter's spin. This is called a retrograde orbit. They are also not perfectly round, so they are called non-spherical moons. The moons in this group orbit Jupiter at distances between 19,300,000 and 22,700,000 kilometers. Their orbits are also tilted by about 150 degrees. Euporie is the closest moon to Jupiter in this group.
