S/2022 J 2 is a small outer natural satellite of Jupiter discovered by Scott S. Sheppard on 15 October 2022 using the 6.5-meter Magellan-Baade Telescope at Las Campanas Observatory, Chile. It was announced by the Minor Planet Center on 22 February 2023, after observations were collected over a long enough time span to confirm the satellite's orbit.[1]
| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Scott S. Sheppard |
| Discovery site | Las Campanas Obs. |
| Discovery date | 15 October 2022 |
| Orbital characteristics[2][3] | |
| Epoch 31 March 2024 (JD 2460400.5) | |
| Observation arc | 1.05 yr (384 d) |
| 0.1591710 AU (23,811,640 km) | |
| Eccentricity | 0.1773868 |
| –2.06 yr (–750.65 days) | |
| 97.80253° | |
| 0° 28m 46.495s / day | |
| Inclination | 165.29213° (to ecliptic) |
| 154.53141° | |
| 145.16811° | |
| Satellite of | Jupiter |
| Group | Carme group |
| Physical characteristics | |
| ≈1 km[4] | |
| Albedo | 0.04 (assumed)[4] |
| 24.0 (average)[4] | |
| 17.5[2] | |
S/2022 J 2 is part of the Carme group, a tight cluster of retrograde irregular moons of Jupiter that follow similar orbits to Carme at semi-major axes between 22–24 million km (14–15 million mi), orbital eccentricities between 0.2 and 0.3, and inclinations between 163 and 166°.[4] With a diameter of about 1 km (0.62 mi) for an absolute magnitude of 17.5, it is one of Jupiter's smallest known moons with confirmed orbits.[4]
References
edit- ^ a b "MPEC 2023-D45 : S/2022 J 2". Minor Planet Electronic Circulars. Minor Planet Center. 22 February 2023. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
- ^ a b "MPEC 2024-D117 : S/2022 J 2". Minor Planet Electronic Circulars. Minor Planet Center. 23 February 2024. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
- ^ "Planetary Satellite Discovery Circumstances". JPL Solar System Dynamics. NASA. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
- ^ a b c d e Sheppard, Scott S. "Moons of Jupiter". Earth & Planets Laboratory. Carnegie Institution for Science. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
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