The amateur astronomer who last year recovered four lost Jovian moons has become the first amateur to discovery a previously unknown moon. Kai Ly reported the discovery to the Minor Planet Mailing List on June 30th and has submitted it for publication as a Minor Planet Electronic Circular.
Ly began planning the quest in May, but their real work began in June, when they began examining data taken in 2003 with the 3.6-meter Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT). David Jewitt and Scott Sheppard (University of Hawai'i) had led a group that used these images to discover 23 new moons. The images remain available online, and Sheppard later used them to discover other Jovian moons, including Valetudo, Ersa, and Pandia.
© Carnegie Inst. for Science / Roberto Molar Candanosa
Jupiter has 79 moons acknowledged by the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center, but an amateur astronomer has just discovered another one (not shown here). Most of the planet's prograde moons (purple, blue) orbit relatively close to Jupiter, while its retrograde moons (red) orbit farther out. One exceptions is Valetudo (green), a prograde-moving body discovered in 2018 that's far out.
Jupiter has 79 moons acknowledged by the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center, but an amateur astronomer has just discovered another one (not shown here). Most of the planet's prograde moons (purple, blue) orbit relatively close to Jupiter, while its retrograde moons (red) orbit farther out. One exceptions is Valetudo (green), a prograde-moving body discovered in 2018 that's far out.
Comment: Note that, despite the claims that the chance of danger is low, China is not the only country investing significant funds towards early identification of space rocks as well as the possible ways to divert their course. Could this concerted effort be because, in some circles, the possibility of this threat is known to be much greater than commonly believed?
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