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 by	Scott S. Sheppard et al.
Discovery site	Mauna Kea Obs.
Discovery date	5 February 2003
Orbital characteristics
	Epoch 17 December 2020 (JD 2459200.5)
Observation arc	16.42 yr (5,996 d)
Earliest precovery date	11 December 2001
Semi-major axis	0.1373976 AU (20,554,390 km)
Eccentricity	0.2776569
Orbital period (sidereal)	–1.65 yr (–602.02 d)
Mean anomaly	114.43587°
Mean motion	0° 35m 52.742s / day
Inclination	149.20392° (to ecliptic)
Longitude of ascending node	50.46976°
Argument of perihelion	224.95527°
Satellite of	Jupiter
Group	Ananke group
Physical characteristics
Mean diameter	≈2 km
Albedo	0.04 (assumed)
Apparent magnitude	23.2
Absolute magnitude (H)	16.7

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S/2003 J 2 is a retrograde irregular satellite of Jupiter. The moon was discovered on 5 February 2003 by a team of astronomers from the University of Hawaii led by Scott S. Sheppard and David C. Jewitt, and was later announced on 4 March 2003.^[4]^[5] It was initially thought to be Jupiter's outermost known moon until recovery observations disproved this in 2020.^[6]

S/2003 J 2 is about 2 km (1.2 mi) in diameter, and orbits Jupiter at an average distance of about 20,600,000 kilometers (20.6 gigametres (0.138 AU)) in roughly 600 days, at an inclination of around 149° to the ecliptic and with an eccentricity of 0.28. The moon was initially assumed to be part of the Pasiphae group, but is now known to be part of the Ananke group after it was recovered in 2020.^[1]^[6]

The moon was considered lost^[7]^[8]^[9]^[10] until 2020, when it was recovered by Sheppard and independently by amateur astronomer Kai Ly.^[6] The recovery of the moon was announced by the Minor Planet Center on 26 January 2021.^[2]

References

^ ^a ^b 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)
^ ^a ^b ^c "MPEC 2021-B134 : S/2003 J 2". Minor Planet Electronic Circular. Minor Planet Center. 26 January 2021. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
^ ^a ^b ^c S.S. Sheppard (2019), Moons of Jupiter, Carnegie Science, on line
^ IAUC 8087: Satellites of Jupiter 2003 March 4 (discovery)
^ Sheppard, Scott S.; Jewitt, David C. (2003). "An abundant population of small irregular satellites around Jupiter" (PDF). Nature. 423 (6937): 261–263. Bibcode:2003Natur.423..261S. doi:10.1038/nature01584. PMID 12748634. S2CID 4424447. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 15, 2006.
^ ^a ^b ^c Hecht, Jeff (2021-01-11). "Amateur Astronomer Finds "Lost" Moons of Jupiter". www.skyandtelescope.com. Sky & Telescope. Retrieved 2021-01-11.
^ Beatty, Kelly (4 April 2012). "Outer-Planet Moons Found — and Lost". www.skyandtelescope.com. Sky & Telescope. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
^ Brozović, Marina; Jacobson, Robert A. (9 March 2017). "The Orbits of Jupiter's Irregular Satellites". The Astronomical Journal. 153 (4): 147. Bibcode:2017AJ....153..147B. doi:10.3847/1538-3881/aa5e4d.
^ Jacobson, B.; Brozović, M.; Gladman, B.; Alexandersen, M.; Nicholson, P. D.; Veillet, C. (28 September 2012). "Irregular Satellites of the Outer Planets: Orbital Uncertainties and Astrometric Recoveries in 2009–2011". The Astronomical Journal. 144 (5): 132. Bibcode:2012AJ....144..132J. doi:10.1088/0004-6256/144/5/132. S2CID 123117568.
^ Sheppard, Scott S. (2017). "New Moons of Jupiter Announced in 2017". home.dtm.ciw.edu. Retrieved 27 June 2017. We likely have all of the lost moons in our new observations from 2017, but to link them back to the remaining lost 2003 objects requires more observations a year later to confirm the linkages, which will not happen until early 2018. ... There are likely a few more new moons as well in our 2017 observations, but we need to reobserve them in 2018 to determine which of the discoveries are new and which are lost 2003 moons.

[MPEC-2003-E11-1] 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)

[MPEC-2021-B134-2] "MPEC 2021-B134 : S/2003 J 2". Minor Planet Electronic Circular. Minor Planet Center. 26 January 2021. Retrieved 26 January 2021.

[SheppardMoons-3] S.S. Sheppard (2019), Moons of Jupiter, Carnegie Science, on line

[4] IAUC 8087: Satellites of Jupiter 2003 March 4 (discovery)

[SheppardJewitt2003-5] Sheppard, Scott S.; Jewitt, David C. (2003). "An abundant population of small irregular satellites around Jupiter" (PDF). Nature. 423 (6937): 261–263. Bibcode:2003Natur.423..261S. doi:10.1038/nature01584. PMID 12748634. S2CID 4424447. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 15, 2006.

[Hecht2020-6] Hecht, Jeff (2021-01-11). "Amateur Astronomer Finds "Lost" Moons of Jupiter". www.skyandtelescope.com. Sky & Telescope. Retrieved 2021-01-11.

[7] Beatty, Kelly (4 April 2012). "Outer-Planet Moons Found — and Lost". www.skyandtelescope.com. Sky & Telescope. Retrieved 27 June 2017.

[Jacobson-8] Brozović, Marina; Jacobson, Robert A. (9 March 2017). "The Orbits of Jupiter's Irregular Satellites". The Astronomical Journal. 153 (4): 147. Bibcode:2017AJ....153..147B. doi:10.3847/1538-3881/aa5e4d.

[9] Jacobson, B.; Brozović, M.; Gladman, B.; Alexandersen, M.; Nicholson, P. D.; Veillet, C. (28 September 2012). "Irregular Satellites of the Outer Planets: Orbital Uncertainties and Astrometric Recoveries in 2009–2011". The Astronomical Journal. 144 (5): 132. Bibcode:2012AJ....144..132J. doi:10.1088/0004-6256/144/5/132. S2CID 123117568.

[10] Sheppard, Scott S. (2017). "New Moons of Jupiter Announced in 2017". home.dtm.ciw.edu. Retrieved 27 June 2017. We likely have all of the lost moons in our new observations from 2017, but to link them back to the remaining lost 2003 objects requires more observations a year later to confirm the linkages, which will not happen until early 2018. ... There are likely a few more new moons as well in our 2017 observations, but we need to reobserve them in 2018 to determine which of the discoveries are new and which are lost 2003 moons.

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v t e Moons of Jupiter
Listed in increasing approximate distance from Jupiter
Inner moons	Metis Adrastea Amalthea Thebe
Galilean moons	Io Europa Ganymede Callisto
Themisto	Themisto
Himalia group (9)	Leda Ersa S/2018 J 2 Himalia Pandia Lysithea Elara S/2011 J 3 Dia
Carpo group (2)	S/2018 J 4 Carpo
Valetudo	Valetudo
Ananke group (26)	Euporie Jupiter LV Eupheme S/2021 J 3 Jupiter LII Jupiter LIV Mneme Euanthe S/2003 J 16 Harpalyke Orthosie S/2022 J 3 Helike S/2021 J 2 Praxidike Jupiter LXIV S/2021 J 1 S/2003 J 12 Jupiter LXVIII Thelxinoe Thyone S/2003 J 2 Ananke Iocaste Hermippe Jupiter LXX
Carme group (30)	S/2022 J 1 S/2022 J 2 S/2016 J 3 Pasithee Jupiter LXIX S/2021 J 6 S/2003 J 24 Chaldene Jupiter LXIII Isonoe S/2021 J 4 Kallichore Erinome Kale Eirene Aitne Eukelade Arche Taygete Jupiter LXXII Carme Herse Jupiter LXI Jupiter LI S/2003 J 9 Jupiter LXVI Kalyke S/2018 J 3 S/2021 J 5 S/2003 J 10
Pasiphae group (18)	Philophrosyne Eurydome Jupiter LVI S/2003 J 4 S/2016 J 4 Jupiter LXVII Hegemone Pasiphae Sponde Megaclite Cyllene Sinope Jupiter LIX Aoede Autonoe Callirrhoe S/2003 J 23 Kore
See also	Rings of Jupiter Jupiter's moons in fiction
Category