S/2003 J 15 facts for kids

S/2003 J 15 is a small moon that goes around the giant planet Jupiter. It was discovered in 2003 by a group of scientists from the University of Hawaii. This team was led by an astronomer named Scott S. Sheppard.

About S/2003 J 15

S/2003 J 15 is a very small moon. It is only about 2 kilometres wide. This moon travels around Jupiter at a distance of about 22,721,000 kilometres. It takes a long time to complete one trip around Jupiter, about 699.676 days.

Its Orbit Around Jupiter

The path S/2003 J 15 takes around Jupiter is called its orbit. This orbit is tilted. It is tilted at an angle of 142 degrees compared to Jupiter's middle line, called its equator. The orbit is also a bit stretched out, not a perfect circle. Scientists call this its orbital eccentricity, which is 0.0932 for S/2003 J 15.

Part of a Moon Family

S/2003 J 15 belongs to a group of moons called the Ananke group. This group is named after another moon, Ananke. S/2003 J 15 is the moon farthest away in this group.

These moons are special because they orbit Jupiter in a "retrograde" way. This means they go around Jupiter in the opposite direction compared to how Jupiter spins. Most moons go the same way their planet spins.

The moons in the Ananke group are not round like Earth's Moon. They are "non-spherical", meaning they have irregular shapes. They orbit Jupiter at distances between 19,300,000 and 22,700,000 kilometres. Their orbits are also tilted, usually around 150 degrees.

See also

In Spanish: Filofrósine (satélite) para niños