Sky & Telescope
BY: JEFF HECHT
JANUARY 31, 2023
The biggest planet in the solar system now has the largest family of moons. Since December 20th, the Minor Planet Center (MPC) has published orbits for 12 previously unreported moons of Jupiter. More publications are expected, says Scott Sheppard (Carnegie Institute for Science), who recently submitted observations of the Jovian system taken between 2021 and 2022. The discoveries bring the list of Jovian moons to 92, a hefty 15% increase from the previous tally of 80.
The MPC’s orbital calculations confirm the new objects are in orbit around Jupiter. Other data from Sheppard’s observations even enabled recovery of the last “missing” Jovian moon, S/2003 J 10; the newest observations extended the track of its orbit to 18 years.