Portal:Jupiter/Moon/6

=Himalia= Mean orbit radius of Himalia around Jupiter is 11,460,000 km

Period is 250.56 d (0.704 a)

"Unfortunately the numeration of Jupiter's satellites is now in precisely the same confusion as that of Saturn's system was before the numbers were abandoned and names substituted. A similar course would seem to be advisable here; the designation V for the inner satellite [Amalthea] was tolerated for a time, as it was considered to be in a class by itself; but it has now got companions, so that this subterfuge disappears. The substitution of names for numerals is certainly more poetic."

The moon was sometimes called Hestia, after the Hestia the Greek goddess, from 1955 to 1975.

At a distance of about 11.5 million km from Jupiter, Himalia takes about 251 Earth days to complete one orbit. It is the largest member of the Himalia group, the moons orbiting between 11.4 and 13 million kilometres from Jupiter at an inclination of about 27.5°. The orbital elements are as of January 2000.