Jupiter (Planet) -- Photographs from space; Jupiter probes; Voyager Project
The next group of Jovian satellites consists of four small
difficult-to-observe objects. These are Lysithea, Elara, Himalia, and
Leda, the latter discovered by Charles Kowal of Hale Observatories in
1974. They have similar orbits, varying in distance from Jupiter between
11 and 12 million kilometers (about 160 R_J). Like the outer group,
these satellites have orbits of high inclination; unlike the outer
group, they move in the proper, prograde direction around Jupiter. The
largest, Himalia (170 kilometers in diameter) and Elara (80 kilometers
diameter), are known to be very dark, rocky objects, and it seems
probable that the others are similar. It is unlikely that the census of
the outer groups of irregular satellites is complete, and new satellites
less than 10 kilometers in diameter will probably be discovered.
The Jovian system is dominated, of course, by the large Galilean
satellites, which vary in size from just smaller than the Moon (Europa)
to nearly as large as Mars (Ganymede). These satellites are in regular,
nearly circular orbits in the same plane as the equator of Jupiter, and
all four lie within the inner magnetosphere of Jupiter, where they
interact strongly with energetic charged particles and plasma. Most of
this chapter will be devoted to a discussion of these fascinating
worlds.
We now know of three additional small satellites inside the orbit of Io,
orbiting close to Jupiter. The first, Amalthea, was discovered in 1892;
it orbits Jupiter in just twelve hours at a distance of 181 000
kilometers (2.55 R_J). A smaller object, Adrastea (officially 1979J1 for
the first new satellite of Jupiter discovered in 1979), is much closer,
at 134 000 kilometers (1.76 R_J). As described in Chapter 7, it skirts
the outer edge of the ring, circling Jupiter in just over seven hours.
The inner satellite moves faster than Jupiter’s rotation; seen from the
planet, it would rise in the west and set in the east. Both Amalthea and
Adrastea are buried deep within the inner magnetosphere where they are
continually bombarded by energetic electrons, protons, and ions.
Depletion of the Jovian radiation belt particles was observed at the
orbits of both satellites by Pioneer 11, which went much closer to
Jupiter than the Voyagers, testifying to the intensity of the
interaction between these objects and their surroundings.
[Illustration: Callisto was revealed by the Voyager cameras to be a
heavily cratered and hence geologically inactive world. This mosaic
of Voyager 1 images, obtained on March 6 from a distance of about
400 000 kilometers, shows surface detail as small as 10 kilometers
across. The prominent old impact feature Valhalla has a central
bright spot about 600 kilometers across, probably representing the
original impact basin. The concentric bright rings extend outward
about 1500 kilometers from the impact center. [260-450]]
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