Amalthea:
A Moon the Shape of a Football
- Amalthea is a small moon:
- 270 by 170 by 155 km (167 by 105 by 96 miles)
- Shape resembles a football.
- Long axis pointing toward Jupiter.
- Amalthea swings like a compass needle in its orbit.
- Orbits much closer to Jupiter than the Galilean satellites.
- Revolution about Jupiter takes 12 hours.
- Red surface coloring.
- A lighter color may exist beneath surface.
- Scarlet coloring may be result of sulfur-rich contaminents.
- These contaminents would be blown from Io by meteroites and volcanic eruptions.
- Any such debris would spiral toward Jupiter's surface.
- Some of this would liely be intercepted by Amalthea.
- Amalthea may be a remnant of a larger body.
- Rugged, irregular shape indicates this possibility.
- May have been sculpted by meteorite impacts.
- Amalthea is a uniquely formed body in our Solar System.
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