Facts for Kids

Amalthea is one of Jupiter's moons! 🌕

It is special because it is the third-largest moon of Jupiter. This exciting moon was discovered in 1892 by an astronomer named Edward E. Barnard. Amalthea is named after a nurturing goat in Greek mythology. The moon is about 250 kilometers (155 miles) wide, meaning it's not very big compared to other moons, but it's still quite interesting! Amalthea orbits around Jupiter at an average distance of about 181,000 kilometers (112,000 miles). That's a long way up in the sky! 🚀

Amalthea, named after a mythological goat, connects to stories and legends! 📚

In mythology, Amalthea cared for the young Zeus, which symbolizes protection and nurturing. This makes the moon a lovely topic in stories of the night sky. Children and adults alike can look up at Amalthea and think of the ancient tales of gods and heroes. In books or movies related to space, Amalthea may not always be featured, but its intriguing name sparks curiosity about both mythology and astronomy! 🌌

In December 1892, Edward E. Barnard spotted Amalthea while looking at Jupiter. His discovery was important because it added to our understanding of the many moons that orbit giant planets. The name "Amalthea" comes from a story in Greek mythology. Amalthea was a goat that took care of the baby Zeus, the king of the gods. 🌟

The name reflects how the moon helps scientists learn more about space and our solar system, just like Amalthea the goat helped Zeus grow strong!

Even though Amalthea is not as famous as some other moons, it has been visited by a spacecraft called Galileo! 🚀

Galileo was launched in 1989 and arrived at Jupiter in 1995. It took pictures and collected data about the moon and the entire Jupiter system. This mission helped scientists learn more about Amalthea's surface and its relationship with Jupiter's many other moons. In the future, other missions might also explore Amalthea, allowing us to discover even more secrets about it!

Amalthea doesn't have much of an atmosphere. 🌌

An atmosphere is the layer of gases surrounding a planet or moon. Since it’s so small and made of rock and ice, there isn’t enough gravity to hold on to gases like Earth does. This means there's no weather on Amalthea; it's mostly cold and still! The temperature can vary, but it's usually very chilly, around -160 degrees Celsius (-256 degrees Fahrenheit). So, if you were to visit, you'd want to bundle up! ❄

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Amalthea orbits Jupiter at a distance of about 181,000 kilometers (112,000 miles). It takes about 11 hours and 5 minutes to make one full trip around the giant planet. That's called a “orbit period.” This moon is unique because it is not very round—it's more like an irregular shape, a bit like a peanut! 🥜

This odd shape helps astronomers study the forces that keep moons in the skies. Amalthea is one of the many moons that spin around Jupiter's enormous gravitational pull!

Amalthea is slightly reddish in color, which makes it a bit different from other moons like Europa or Io. It is mostly made of rock and ice and is about 250 kilometers (155 miles) wide, making it smaller than some cities! 🌆

Because of its uneven shape, it looks bumpy instead of smooth, like the surface of a golf ball. Amalthea is also one of the least reflective moons, which means it doesn't shine very bright in the sky. It’s like a hidden treasure in the immense space!

Scientists are excited about the chance to learn even more about Amalthea in the future! 🔍

Upcoming spacecraft missions could explore this small moon to uncover more about its geology and secrets hidden on its surface. They might find out if there is any water or ice, which is important for understanding life in space. By studying Amalthea, researchers hope to answer questions about the origins of our solar system and the role of moons around giant planets like Jupiter! 🌍

So keep your eyes on the stars; exciting discoveries await!

Amalthea is one of 79 known moons that orbit Jupiter! 🪐

Some of the most famous ones include Callisto, Ganymede, and Europa. These moons are much larger than Amalthea, and they are called the "Galilean moons" because Galileo discovered them in 1610. Even though Amalthea is smaller and less well-known, it plays an important role in helping scientists understand how moons form and interact in the environment around Jupiter.

Amalthea has a surface covered with many craters! 🕳

️ Craters are like big dents made by rocks hitting the moon. Some craters are small, while others are larger, even a few kilometers wide! Scientists think that the surface is made mostly of a mixture of ice and rock, which makes it very interesting to study. One of the biggest features on Amalthea is a large crater called "Gaea," which is about 100 kilometers (62 miles) wide! The surface of Amalthea tells us a lot about how our solar system came to be.