S/2022 J 2

S/2022 J 2

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)
Semi-major axis	0.1591710 AU (23,811,640 km)
Eccentricity	0.1773868
Orbital period (sidereal)	–2.06 yr (–750.65 days)
Mean anomaly	97.80253°
Mean motion	0° 28^m 46.495^s / day
Inclination	165.29213° (to ecliptic)
Longitude of ascending node	154.53141°
Argument of perihelion	145.16811°
Satellite of	Jupiter
Group	Carme group
Physical characteristics
Mean diameter	≈1 km[4]
Albedo	0.04 (assumed)[4]
Apparent magnitude	24.0 (average)[4]
Absolute magnitude (H)	17.5[2]

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]

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

1. "MPEC 2023-D45 : S/2022 J 2". Minor Planet Electronic Circulars. Minor Planet Center. 22 February 2023. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
2. "MPEC 2024-D117 : S/2022 J 2". Minor Planet Electronic Circulars. Minor Planet Center. 23 February 2024. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
3. "Planetary Satellite Discovery Circumstances". JPL Solar System Dynamics. NASA. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
4. Sheppard, Scott S. "Moons of Jupiter". Earth & Planets Laboratory. Carnegie Institution for Science. Retrieved 22 February 2023.