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Amalthea

Amalthea was discovered by E Barnard in 1872. Of the 17 moons it is the 3rd closest to Jupiter, with a standoff distance of 181,300 km. Amalthea is about the size of a county or small state, and is just 135 x 75 km (84 x 47 miles) in size.

Amalthea is named after the goat in Greek mythology that nursed the baby Jupiter when Jupiter was in hiding from his own father. As a small moon, the composition and surface features of Amalthea are unknown.

Last modified November 10, 2003 by Jennifer Bergman.

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