S/2003 J 23 facts for kids
S/2003 J 23 is a small moon that goes around the giant planet Jupiter. It's one of Jupiter's many moons! Scientists found it in 2004, but they actually saw it in pictures taken in 2003. A team of astronomers from the University of Hawaii, led by Scott S. Sheppard, made this exciting discovery.
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About S/2003 J 23
This little moon is quite small, only about 2 kilometres wide. To give you an idea, that's roughly the length of 20 football fields!
How it Orbits Jupiter
S/2003 J 23 travels around Jupiter at a very long distance. On average, it's about 22,740,000 kilometres away from the planet. That's like going around the Earth's equator more than 500 times!
It takes this moon about 700 days to complete one full trip around Jupiter. That's almost two Earth years! Its path around Jupiter is also quite tilted, about 149 degrees compared to Jupiter's middle. This means it doesn't orbit in a flat circle like many other moons. Its orbit is also a bit stretched out, not perfectly round.
The Pasiphaë Group
S/2003 J 23 is part of a family of moons called the Pasiphaë group. This group includes several moons that share similar orbits around Jupiter.
What Makes This Group Special?
Moons in the Pasiphaë group are not round like Earth's Moon. They have irregular, lumpy shapes. They also orbit Jupiter in a special way called "retrograde." This means they move around Jupiter in the opposite direction to Jupiter's own spin. Imagine a car driving the wrong way on a race track!
These moons are found quite far from Jupiter, usually between 22,800,000 and 24,100,000 kilometres away. Their orbits are also very tilted, ranging from about 144.5 to 158.3 degrees.
Images for kids
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Animation of discovery images taken on 6 February 2003
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Recovery images of S/2003 J 23 taken by the CFHT on 24 February 2017
See also
In Spanish: S/2003 J 23 para niños
