From infrared thermal measurements by theWISE spacecraft, Kalyke'salbedo is measured at 2.9%, corresponding to a diameter of 6.9 kilometres.[3] It orbits Jupiter at an average distance of 23,181,000 km in 766.61 days, at aninclination of 166° to theecliptic (165° to Jupiter's equator), in aretrograde direction and with aneccentricity of 0.2140.
It was named in October 2002 after the Greek mythological figure Kalyke orCalyce.[6]
It belongs to theCarme group, made up of irregular retrograde moons orbiting Jupiter at a distance ranging between 23 and 24 Gm and at an inclination of about 165°. Kalyke is redder in color (B−V=0.94, V−R=0.70) than other moons of the Carme group, suggesting that it is a capturedcentaur orTNO, or a remnant of such an object that collided with the Carme group progenitor.[7]
