S/2022 J 3

S/2022 J 3
Discovery[1]
Discovered byScott S. Sheppard
Discovery siteCerro Tololo Obs.
Discovery date30 August 2022
Orbital characteristics[2][3]
Epoch 31 March 2024 (JD 2460400.5)
Observation arc20.61 yr (7,528 d)
Earliest precovery date26 February 2003
0.1373821 AU (20,552,070 km)
Eccentricity0.2125986
–1.65 yr (–601.92 days)
294.51229°
0° 35m 53.108s / day
Inclination145.73211° (to ecliptic)
302.06960°
67.60587°
Satellite ofJupiter
GroupAnanke group
Physical characteristics
≈1 km[4]
Albedo0.04 (assumed)[4]
24.0 (average)[4]
17.3[2]

S/2022 J 3 is a small outer natural satellite of Jupiter discovered by Scott S. Sheppard on 30 August 2022, using the 4.0-meter Víctor M. Blanco Telescope at Cerro Tololo 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 3 is part of the Ananke group, a cluster of retrograde irregular moons of Jupiter that follow similar orbits to Ananke at semi-major axes between 19–22 million km (12–14 million mi), orbital eccentricities between 0.1 and 0.4, and inclinations between 139 and 155°.[4] It has a diameter of about 1 km (0.62 mi) for an absolute magnitude of 17.3.[4] The moon has been observed for over 20 years, with the earliest known observation on 26 February 2003.[2]

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference MPEC-2023-D46 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference MPEC-2024-D118 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference jplsats-disc was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b c d e Cite error: The named reference SheppardMoons was invoked but never defined (see the help page).