A celestial speck that astronomers thought was a meteoroid is in fact
Jupiter’s 17th moon—its smallest, and the first found for 26 years.
University of Arizona astronomers used the 36-inch telescope at Kitt Peak to
track the object for a month last year. They estimate that the object orbits
Jupiter once every two years at an average distance of 24 million kilometres.
The new moon may measure only 5 kilometres across, and it won’t get a permanent
name and number unless researchers spot it re-emerging from the Sun’s glare in
September.
To continue reading, today with our introductory offers
Advertisement
More from 91av
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Popular articles
Trending 91av articles
1
There has been a sudden increase in the rate of sea level rise
2
Man destined for Alzheimer's may have been saved by accidental therapy
3
PCOS postpones perimenopause and allows pregnancies at older ages
4
Woman in cancer remission without treatment in highly unusual case
5
A lost ancient script reveals how writing as we know it really began
6
Red-light therapy does have health benefits but not the ones you think
7
Dating over 50 is probably on the rise – but we know little about it
8
Is consciousness more fundamental to reality than quantum physics?
9
Fire is spreading in the Chernobyl exclusion zone after drone crash
10
Huge landslide in Alaska caused 481m-high tsunami



