Carme (moon)

Summary

Carme /ˈkɑːrm/ is a retrograde irregular satellite of Jupiter. It was discovered by Seth Barnes Nicholson at Mount Wilson Observatory in California in July 1938.[1] It is named after the mythological Carme, mother by Zeus of Britomartis, a Cretan goddess.

Carme
Carme photographed by the Haute-Provence Observatory in December 1998
Discovery[1]
Discovered bySeth B. Nicholson
Discovery siteMt. Wilson Observatory
Discovery date30 July 1938
Designations
Designation
Jupiter XI
Pronunciation/ˈkɑːrm/[2][3]
Named after
Κάρμη Karmē
AdjectivesCarmean /kɑːrˈmən/[4]
Orbital characteristics[5]
Epoch 17 December 2020 (JD 2459200.5)
Observation arc82.02 yr (29,958 days)
0.1509370 AU (22,579,850 km)
Eccentricity0.2294925
–693.17 d
17.48241°
0° 31m 9.68s / day
Inclination163.53496° (to ecliptic)
209.94088°
133.45035°
Satellite ofJupiter
GroupCarme group
Physical characteristics
Mean diameter
46.7±0.9 km[6]
Mass8.69×1016 kg (calculated)
Mean density
1.63 g/cm3 (assumed)[7]
10.40±0.05 h[8]
Albedo0.035±0.006[6]
Spectral type
D[6]
18.9[9]
10.5[5]

History edit

 
Carme observed by the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) spacecraft in 2014

Carme did not receive its present name until 1975;[10] before then, it was simply known as Jupiter XI. It was sometimes called "Pan"[11] between 1955 and 1975 (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°. Its orbital elements are as of 17 December 2020.[5] They are continuously changing due to solar and planetary perturbations.

Properties edit

With a diameter of 46.7±0.9 km, it is the largest member of the Carme group and the fourth largest irregular moon of Jupiter.[6] It is light red in color (B−V=0.76, V−R=0.47), similar to D-type asteroids and consistent with Taygete, but not Kalyke.[12]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b Nicholson, S. B. (1938). "Two New Satellites of Jupiter". Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. 50 (297): 292–293. Bibcode:1938PASP...50..292N. doi:10.1086/124963. S2CID 120216615.
  2. ^ Webster, Noah (1884). A Practical Dictionary of the English Language.
  3. ^ "Carme". Dictionary.com Unabridged (Online). n.d.
  4. ^ Yenne, Bill (1987). The Atlas of the Solar System.
  5. ^ a b c "M.P.C. 127087" (PDF). Minor Planet Circular. Minor Planet Center. 17 November 2019.
  6. ^ a b c d Grav, T.; Bauer, J. M.; Mainzer, A. K.; Masiero, J. R.; Nugent, C. R.; Cutri, R. M.; et al. (August 2015). "NEOWISE: Observations of the Irregular Satellites of Jupiter and Saturn" (PDF). The Astrophysical Journal. 809 (1): 9. arXiv:1505.07820. Bibcode:2015ApJ...809....3G. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/809/1/3. S2CID 5834661. 3.
  7. ^ Chen, Zhenghan; Yang, Kun; Liu, Xiaodong (23 December 2023). ""Life" of dust originating from the irregular satellites of Jupiter". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 527 (4): 11327–11337. arXiv:2402.03680. doi:10.1093/mnras/stad3829. ISSN 0035-8711.
  8. ^ Luu, Jane (September 1991). "CCD photometry and spectroscopy of the outer Jovian satellites". Astronomical Journal. 102: 1213–1225. Bibcode:1991AJ....102.1213L. doi:10.1086/115949. ISSN 0004-6256.
  9. ^ Sheppard, Scott. "Scott S. Sheppard - Jupiter Moons". Department of Terrestrial Magnetism. Carnegie Institution for Science. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
  10. ^ IAUC 2846: Satellites of Jupiter 1974 October 7 (naming the moon)
  11. ^ Payne-Gaposchkin, Cecilia; Katherine Haramundanis (1970). Introduction to Astronomy. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall. ISBN 0-13-478107-4.
  12. ^ Grav, Tommy; Holman, M. J.; Gladman, B. J.; Aksnes, K. (2003). "Photometric survey of the irregular satellites". Icarus. 166 (1): 33–45. arXiv:astro-ph/0301016. Bibcode:2003Icar..166...33G. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2003.07.005. S2CID 7793999.

External links edit

  • Carme Profile by NASA's Solar System Exploration
  • David Jewitt pages
  • Jupiter's Known Satellites (by Scott S. Sheppard)