S/2003 J 19 facts for kids
S/2003 J 19 is one of the many moons that orbit the giant planet Jupiter. It was discovered in 2003 by a group of astronomers led by Brett J. Gladman. This small moon helps scientists learn more about the outer parts of our solar system.
Discovery of S/2003 J 19
S/2003 J 19 was found in 2003. It was part of a big search for new moons around Jupiter. The team of astronomers, led by Brett J. Gladman, used powerful telescopes to spot this tiny object. Its name, S/2003 J 19, means it was the 19th moon discovered around Jupiter in 2003.
About S/2003 J 19
This moon is quite small, only about 2 kilometers across. To give you an idea, that's roughly the length of 20 football fields!
S/2003 J 19 travels around Jupiter at a very long distance. On average, it is about 22,709,000 kilometers away from the planet. It takes a long time for this moon to complete one full trip around Jupiter. It orbits Jupiter in about 699 days, which is almost two years!
Its path around Jupiter is also quite tilted. This tilt is called its inclination. S/2003 J 19's orbit is tilted by about 165 degrees compared to the ecliptic (the plane where most planets orbit the Sun). This means it orbits Jupiter in the opposite direction to Jupiter's spin. Its orbit is also not a perfect circle; it's a bit stretched out, which scientists call its orbital eccentricity.
The Carme Group
S/2003 J 19 is part of a family of moons called the Carme group. This group is named after its largest member, Carme.
Moons in the Carme group share a few things in common:
- They are all quite small and not perfectly round, like a potato.
- They orbit Jupiter in a "retrograde" direction. This means they move around Jupiter in the opposite way that Jupiter spins.
- They are all found at similar distances from Jupiter, usually between 23,000,000 and 24,000,000 kilometers.
- Their orbits are all tilted by about 165 degrees.
Scientists believe that the moons in the Carme group might have once been a single, larger object. This object probably broke apart a long time ago due to a collision, forming the smaller moons we see today.
