Amalthea

views updated May 23 2018

Amalthea in Greek mythology, the she-goat who suckled the infant Zeus when he was hidden to protect him from his father Cronus; Amalthea's horn is another name for the cornucopia or horn of plenty.

Amalthea

views updated May 08 2018

Amalthea (Jupiter V) The jovian satellite with the closest orbit to Jupiter. Its surface colour is reddish, apparently because of sulphur emitted from Io. Its diameter is 189 km (262 × 146 × 134 km), the irregular shape suggesting a rigid body. Its mass is 7.17 × 1018 kg; mean distance from Jupiter 181 000 km. It radiates more heat than it receives from the Sun.

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