Discovery [1] | |
---|---|
Discovered by | Scott S. Sheppard |
Discovery site | Cerro Tololo Obs. |
Discovery date | 30 August 2022 |
Orbital characteristics [2] [3] | |
Epoch 31 March 2024 ( JD 2460400.5) | |
Observation arc | 20.61 yr (7,528 d) |
Earliest precovery date | 26 February 2003 |
0.1373821 AU (20,552,070 km) | |
Eccentricity | 0.2125986 |
–1.65 yr (–601.92 days) | |
294.51229 ° | |
0° 35m 53.108s / day | |
Inclination | 145.73211° (to ecliptic) |
302.06960° | |
67.60587° | |
Satellite of | Jupiter |
Group | Ananke group |
Physical characteristics | |
Mean diameter | ≈1 km [4] |
Albedo | 0.04 (assumed) [4] |
24.0 (average) [4] | |
17.3 [2] | |
S/2022 J 3 is a small outer natural satellite of Jupiter discovered by Scott S. Sheppard on 30 August 2022, using the 4.0-meter Víctor M. Blanco Telescope at Cerro Tololo 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]
S/2022 J 3 is part of the Ananke group, a cluster of retrograde irregular moons of Jupiter that follow similar orbits to Ananke at semi-major axes between 19–22 million km (12–14 million mi), orbital eccentricities between 0.1 and 0.4, and inclinations between 139 and 155°. [4] It has a diameter of about 1 km (0.62 mi) for an absolute magnitude of 17.3. [4] The moon has been observed for over 20 years, with the earliest known observation on 26 February 2003. [2]