Kallichore (moon) facts for kids
Kallichore, also known as Jupiter XLIV, is one of the many moons that orbit the giant planet Jupiter. A team of astronomers from the University of Hawaii, led by Scott S. Sheppard, discovered this moon in 2003. When it was first found, it was given the temporary name S/2003 J 11.
About Kallichore
Kallichore is a small moon, only about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) wide. It travels around Jupiter quite far away, at an average distance of about 23,112,000 kilometers (14,361,000 miles). It takes Kallichore about 718 days to complete one full trip around Jupiter.
This moon's path around Jupiter is tilted. This tilt, called its inclination, is about 165 degrees compared to the ecliptic (the path the Sun appears to take across the sky). Its orbit is also not a perfect circle; it's a bit stretched out, which astronomers call an orbital eccentricity of 0.2042.
How Kallichore Got Its Name
Kallichore was officially named in March 2005. It gets its name from Kallichore, a nymph (a nature spirit) in ancient Greek mythology.
Part of the Carme Group
Kallichore is a member of a group of moons called the Carme group. These moons are all small and not perfectly round. They orbit Jupiter in a "retrograde" direction, meaning they move in the opposite direction to Jupiter's rotation. The moons in this group are found at distances between 23,000,000 and 24,000,000 kilometers from Jupiter, and they all have a similar tilt of about 165 degrees.
