Kalyke

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 S/2000 J 2.^[5][1]

It was named in October 2002 after the Greek mythological figure Kalyke or Calyce.^[6]

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.

From infrared thermal measurements by the WISE spacecraft, Kalyke's albedo is measured at 2.9%, corresponding to a diameter of 6.9 kilometres,^[3] making it one of the least reflective bodies in our solar system.

Kalyke appears red in the visible spectrum (B−V=0.94, V−R=0.70),^[7] similar to D-type asteroids.^[3]

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.^[7]