S/2003 J 9 facts for kids

S/2003 J 9 is a small, non-round moon that goes around 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 9

S/2003 J 9 is quite small, only about 1 kilometre (0.6 miles) wide. It travels around Jupiter at a distance of about 23,858,000 kilometres (14,824,700 miles). One full trip around Jupiter takes this moon about 752.839 days.

Its path around Jupiter is tilted. This tilt, called its inclination, is about 165 degrees compared to Jupiter's equator. The moon's orbit is also not a perfect circle; it's a bit stretched out, which is called an orbital eccentricity of 0.276.

The Carme Group

S/2003 J 9 is part of a family of moons known as the Carme group. This group includes several small, non-round moons that orbit Jupiter in a special way. They all travel backward around Jupiter, which is called a retrograde orbit.

These moons are found at a similar distance from Jupiter, usually between 23,000,000 and 24,000,000 kilometres. They also have a similar tilt in their orbits, around 165 degrees.