Kale (moon)
Kale /ˈkeɪliː/, also known as Jupiter XXXVII, is a retrograde irregular satellite of Jupiter. It was discovered in 2001 by astronomers Scott S. Sheppard, D. Jewitt, and J. Kleyna, and was originally designated as S/2001 J 8.
Discovery images of Kale by the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope in December 2001 | |
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Scott S. Sheppard David C. Jewitt Jan T. Kleyna |
| Discovery site | Mauna Kea Observatory |
| Discovery date | 9 December 2001 |
| Designations | |
Designation | Jupiter XXXVII |
| Pronunciation | /ˈkeɪliː/ |
Named after | Καλή Kălē |
Alternative names | S/2001 J 8 |
| Adjectives | Kalean /kəˈliːən/ |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| Epoch 17 December 2020 (JD 2459200.5) | |
| Observation arc | 16.29 yr (5,951 days) |
Semi-major axis | 0.1571703 AU (23,512,340 km) |
| Eccentricity | 0.2893464 |
Orbital period (sidereal) | –736.55 d |
Mean anomaly | 31.49453° |
Mean motion | 0° 29m 19.565s / day |
| Inclination | 166.17658° (to ecliptic) |
Longitude of ascending node | 153.58621° |
| 138.91240° | |
| Satellite of | Jupiter |
| Group | Carme group |
| Physical characteristics | |
Mean diameter | 2 km |
| Albedo | 0.04 (assumed) |
| 23.0 | |
| 16.3 | |
Kale is about 2 kilometres (1.2 miles) in diameter, and orbits Jupiter at an average distance of 22,409 Mm (13,924,000 mi) in 736.55 days, at an inclination of 165° to the ecliptic (166° to Jupiter's equator), in a retrograde direction and with an orbital eccentricity of 0.2011.
It was named in August 2003 after Kale, one of the Charites (Greek: Χάριτες, Latin: Gratiae, 'Graces'), daughters of Zeus (Jupiter). Kale is the spouse of Hephaestus according to some authors (although most have Aphrodite play that role).
It belongs to the Carme group, made up of irregular retrograde moons orbiting Jupiter at a distance ranging between 23 and 24 Gm (14,000,000–15,000,000 mi) and at an inclination of about 165°.