S/2003 J 2

S/2003 J 2
S/2003 J 2 imaged by the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope during follow-up observations in February 2003
Discovery 
Discovered byScott S. Sheppard et al.
Discovery siteMauna Kea Obs.
Discovery date5 February 2003
Orbital characteristics 
Epoch 17 December 2020 (JD 2459200.5)
Observation arc16.42 yr (5,996 d)
Earliest precovery date11 December 2001
0.1373976 AU (20,554,390 km)
Eccentricity0.2776569
–1.65 yr (–602.02 d)
114.43587°
0° 35m 52.742s / day
Inclination149.20392° (to ecliptic)
50.46976°
224.95527°
Satellite ofJupiter
Physical characteristics
Mean diameter
≈2 km
Albedo0.04 (assumed)
23.2
16.7

S/2003 J 2 is an unnamed non-spherical moon of Jupiter. It was found by a team of astronomers from the University of Hawaii led by Scott S. Sheppard and David C. Jewitt and was announced on March 4, 2003 As of 2006, it is Jupiter's farthest known moon.

S/2003 J 2 is about two kilometres in diameter, and orbits Jupiter at an average distance of 29,540,000 km in 980 days, at an inclination of 154° to the ecliptic (152° to Jupiter's equator) and with an orbital eccentricity of 0.2255.

It seems to belong to a group all of its own, with a distant and retrograde orbit.

References

  1. ↑ MPEC 2003-E11: S/2003 J 1, 2003 J 2, 2003 J 3, 2003 J 4, 2003 J 5, 2003 J 6, 2003 J 7 2003 March 4 (discovery and ephemeris)
  2. 1 2 "MPEC 2021-B134 : S/2003 J 2". Minor Planet Electronic Circular. Minor Planet Center. 26 January 2021. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 S.S. Sheppard (2019), Moons of Jupiter, Carnegie Science, on line
  4. ↑ IAUC 8087: Satellites of Jupiter 2003 March 4 (discovery)
  5. ↑ Sheppard, S. S.; and Jewitt, D. C.; An Abundant Population of Small Irregular Satellites Around Jupiter, Nature, Vol. 423 (May 2003), pp. 261-263
  6. ↑ MPEC 2003-E11: S/2003 J 1, 2003 J 2, 2003 J 3, 2003 J 4, 2003 J 5, 2003 J 6, 2003 J 7 2003 March 4 (discovery and ephemeris)
  7. ↑ Mean orbital elements from NASA JPL (August 2006)
  8. ↑ Current (2004 July 14, JD= 2453200.5) orbital elements as reported by IAU-MPC NSES are a= 0.2024818 AU, e=0.1882469 i=153.52114