Moon of Jupiter
Elara
Elara is a moon. It orbits Jupiter. It is about 86 km across – about as wide as Switzerland. Elara was also discovered by Charles Perrine, in 1905, a year after Himalia.
Fact file
- Type
- Moon of Jupiter
- Diameter
- 86 km
- Distance from Jupiter
- 11,740,000 km
- Orbital period
- 259.6 days
- Temperature
- -155 °C on average
Elara orbits Jupiter.
Interesting facts about Elara
- Elara was also discovered by Charles Perrine, in 1905, a year after Himalia.
- It belongs to the Himalia group and takes around 260 days to orbit Jupiter.
- Like many irregular moons, it is dark and reflects only a few per cent of the sunlight.
Frequently asked questions about Elara
How big is Elara?
Elara has a diameter of 86 km. That is about 2.5% of the diameter of our Moon.
How far is Elara from Jupiter?
Elara orbits Jupiter at an average distance of 11.7 million km.
How long does Elara take to orbit Jupiter?
Elara orbits Jupiter once every 259.6 days.
How cold or warm is it on Elara?
On Elara the average temperature is −155 °C.
Formation
Probably a fragment of the same captured asteroid as Himalia.
Atmosphere
No atmosphere.
Exploration
Observed only from Earth and from a great distance – there is no close-up photo.
Compared with Earth
At around 86 km, about the distance from Bern to Lucerne.
Other moons of Jupiter
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