Astronomers have recently discovered a new moon orbiting Jupiter, bringing the total number of Jovian moons to 79! This new moon, designated as S/2016 J2, is the smallest of all of Jupiter’s moons, measuring only 578 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered by researchers from the Carnegie Institution for Science in Washington, D.C., who used images taken by the Hubble Space Telescope to identify the new moon. S/2016 J2 is located in the outermost region of the Jovian system, and it orbits in a clockwise direction. This is the first time in over a decade that a new moon has been discovered around Jupiter, and it is a remarkable addition to our understanding of the Jovian system.

Read Full Article Here

source: Phys.org