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50 years ago, scientists found a new moon orbiting Jupiter

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JupiterтАЩs new moon тАФ Science News, November 2, 1974

JupiterтАЩs tentatively identified 13th moon, discovered in September by California Institute of Technology astronomer Charles Kowal, now appears almost certain to be the real thing.тАж So far known only as J-XIII, the object appears to orbit the planet in the same direction as its rotation.

Update

J-XIII, now known as Leda, was just the beginning. Scientists now recognize a bounteous 95 moons of Jupiter. And thousands of smaller objects orbit the planet, too. A few moons were uncovered by the Voyager spacecraft in 1979. In recent years, telescope surveys have unveiled a dozen moons at a time (SN: 7/17/18). Detailed studies of the largest moons have revealed IoтАЩs lava lakes and EuropaтАЩs icy surface (SN: 4/18/24; SN: 12/15/22). NASAтАЩs Europa Clipper mission is slated to arrive at the icy moon in 2030 to search for signs of habitability (SN: 10/15/24). And the European Space AgencyтАЩs Juice mission will scrutinize Europa, Callisto and Ganymede beginning in 2031 (SN: 12/20/23).

Emily Conover

Physics writer Emily Conover has a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Chicago. She is a two-time winner of the D.C. Science WritersтАЩ Association Newsbrief award.

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