Kalyke

Kalyke, also known as , is a little retrograde irregular satellite of Jupiter.

Discovery and Naming

It was discovered by a team of astronomers from the University of Hawaiʻi led by Scott S. Sheppard in 2000, and given the temporary designation .
It was named in October 2002 after the Greek mythological figure Kalyke or Calyce.

Orbit

It orbits Jupiter at an average distance of 23,298,000 km in 726,70 days, at an inclination of 165° to the ecliptic, in a retrograde direction and with an eccentricity of 0.2140. The orbital elements are continuously changing due to solar and planetary perturbations.
It belongs to the Carme group, made up a tightly of irregular retrograde moons orbiting Jupiter at a distance ranging between 22.7–23.5 million km, at an inclination of about 165°, and eccentricities between 0.24 and 0.28.

Physical characteristics

From infrared thermal measurements by the WISE spacecraft, Kalyke's albedo is measured at 2.9%, corresponding to a diameter of 6.9 kilometres, making it one of the least reflective bodies in our solar system.
Kalyke appears red in the visible spectrum, similar to D-type asteroids.

Origin

Kalyke probably did not form near Jupiter but was captured by Jupiter later.Like the other members of the Carme group, which have similar orbits, Kalyke is probably the remnant of a broken, captured heliocentric asteroid.
However, Kalyke is redder in color than other moons of the Carme group, suggesting that it is a captured centaur or TNO, or a remnant of such an object that collided with the Carme group progenitor.