Callisto

A confirmed moon in the Jupiter system.

Named · Jupiter IV

Snapshot 2026-09-09 · catalog 1.0.0

Explore Callisto in Orrery

Physical measurements

Mean radius
2,410.3 ± 1.5 kmmeasured · Source estimate; uncertainty is the source-reported standard error when available.
GM · gravitational parameter
7,179.2834 ± 0.00324 km³ s⁻²measured · Source estimate; uncertainty is the source-reported standard error when available.
Mass
≈ 1.0757e+23 ± 2.4180e+18 kgderived · GM/G; independent standard uncertainties combined in quadrature. No uncertainty is invented when the source omits GM uncertainty.
Mean density
≈ 1.834 ± 0.0034 g cm⁻³derived · JPL derives density from GM and volume-equivalent radius.

PCK reference shape axes: ≈ 2,410.3 × ≈ 2,410.3 × ≈ 2,410.3 km. These are model axes, not a mapped surface.

Orbit descriptions

Mean elements describe an average orbit. They are not positions for a chosen date.

JUP365 · Laplace plane · 2000-01-01.5 TDB
Semimajor axis
1,882,700 km
Sidereal period
16.6904 days
Eccentricity
0.007
Inclination to reference plane
0.3°
Argument of periapsis
43.8°
Mean anomaly
87.4°
Ascending node
309.1°
Apsidal / nodal precession periods
277.921 / 577.264 years
Reference-plane pole RA / Dec
268.7 / 64.8°
Plane tilt to parent equator
0.4°
Reference center
Not specified in this summary sourceThe summary table identifies a parent system but does not explicitly specify the reference center for each solution. Do not infer a physical-primary center, especially for Pluto’s circumbinary moons.

Orientation

NAIF-pck00011 supplies a modeled pole and prime meridian in the J2000 frame. A dated sky also needs compatible trajectories.

Pole right ascension
268.72, -0.009, 0
Pole declination
64.83, 0.003, 0
Prime meridian
259.51, 21.5710715, 0
Reference epoch
JD 2451545 TDB

Periodic corrections

RA and prime-meridian corrections multiply sine; declination corrections multiply cosine. Each row uses the same angle polynomial for its three corrections.

Term 1 · angle coefficients
73.32, 91472.9, 0RA: 0° · Dec: 0° · meridian: 0°
Term 2 · angle coefficients
24.62, 45137.2, 0RA: 0° · Dec: 0° · meridian: 0°
Term 3 · angle coefficients
283.9, 4850.7, 0RA: 0° · Dec: 0° · meridian: 0°
Term 4 · angle coefficients
355.8, 1191.3, 0RA: 0° · Dec: 0° · meridian: 0°
Term 5 · angle coefficients
119.9, 262.1, 0RA: -0.068° · Dec: -0.029° · meridian: 0.061°
Term 6 · angle coefficients
229.8, 64.3, 0RA: 0.59° · Dec: 0.254° · meridian: -0.533°
Term 7 · angle coefficients
352.25, 2382.6, 0RA: 0° · Dec: 0° · meridian: 0°
Term 8 · angle coefficients
113.35, 6070, 0RA: 0.01° · Dec: -0.004° · meridian: -0.009°

Identity & availability

Stable catalog ID
callisto
JPL / NAIF satellite ID
504
Names & designations
Callisto
Discovery / rediscovery years
1610Galileo

No validated dated trajectory admitted in catalog 1.0.0. Mean elements are not ephemerides.

No image or global texture admitted in this catalog release.No environment measurements admitted in this catalog release.

Sources & evidence

  1. JPL discovery circumstancestable tr[8] (zero-based); jupiter / Callisto · References: IAU WGPSN
  2. MPC satellite namesitems[23]; Jupiter 4
  3. JPL physical parameters#sat_phys_par; Jupiter / Callisto / NAIF 504; mean radius · References: 1
  4. JPL physical parameters#sat_phys_par; Jupiter / Callisto / NAIF 504; GM · References: JUP365
  5. NIST CODATA 2022Table of universal constants, Newtonian constant of gravitationVerified numeric transcription; see acquisition notes in the download.
  6. JPL physical parameters#sat_phys_par; Jupiter / Callisto / NAIF 504; density · References: *
  7. JPL mean orbital elements#sat_elem row ID=6; Jupiter / Callisto / NAIF 504 · References: 29
  8. NAIF PCK 00011BODY504_POLE_RA/POLE_DEC/PM/NUT_PREC_*; BODY5_NUT_PREC_ANGLES; active data blocks
  9. NAIF PCK 00011BODY504_RADII; active data block

Full catalog, uncertainty and source manifests · All Jupiter moons · Moon model limits