Dia_(moon)

Dia (moon)

Dia (moon)

Outer moon of Jupiter

Dia /ˈdaɪ.ə/, also known as Jupiter LIII, is a prograde irregular satellite of Jupiter. Provisionally known as S/2000 J 11, it received its name on March 7, 2015.[3] It is named after Dia, daughter of Deioneus (or Eioneus), wife of Ixion. According to Homer, she was seduced by Zeus in stallion form; Pirithous was the issue.

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The satellite is one of several known small bodies in the Himalia group.[4]

Dia is thought to be about 4 kilometres in diameter.[5] It orbits Jupiter at an average distance of 12 million km in 274 days, at an inclination of 28° (to Jupiter's equator), and with an eccentricity of 0.21.[6]

Observational history

Dia imaged by the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope in December 2001. In the second frame Dia is not visible due to Jupiter's glare reducing the relative brightnesses of the stars.

Dia was discovered by a team of astronomers from the University of Hawaii led by Scott S. Sheppard in 2000 with an observation arc of 26 days.[7][8]

Initial observations were not followed up, and Dia was not observed for more than a decade after 2000. This apparent disappearance led some astronomers to consider the moon lost.[9] One theory was that it had crashed into Himalia, creating a faint ring around Jupiter.[10] However, it was finally recovered in observations made in 2010 and 2011.[6]

References

  1. [1]
    Noah Webster (1884) A Practical Dictionary of the English Language
  2. [2]
    S.S. Sheppard (2019), Moons of Jupiter, Carnegie Science, on line
  3. [3]
    CBET (Central Bureau Electronic Telegram) 4075: 20150307: Satellites of Jupiter, March 7, 2015
  4. [4]
    Sheppard, S. S.; Jewitt, D. C.; An abundant population of small irregular satellites around Jupiter Archived August 13, 2006, at the Wayback Machine, Nature, 423 (May 2003), pp. 261–263
  5. [5]
    Sheppard, S. S.; Jewitt, D. C.; Porco, C.; Jupiter's outer satellites and Trojans Archived June 14, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, in Jupiter: The planet, satellites and magnetosphere, edited by Fran Bagenal, Timothy E. Dowling, William B. McKinnon, Cambridge Planetary Science, Vol. 1, Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, ISBN 0-521-81808-7, 2004, pp. 263-280
  6. [6]
    Williams, Gareth V. (September 11, 2012). "MPEC 2012-R22 : S/2000 J 11". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved September 11, 2012.
  7. [7]
    Daniel W. E. Green (January 5, 2001). "IAUC 7555: Satellites of Jupiter". International Astronomical Union.
  8. [8]
    Brian G. Marsden (January 15, 2001). "MPEC 2001-A29: S/2000 J 7, S/2000 J 8, S/2000 J 9, S/2000 J 10, S/2000 J 11". International Astronomical Union Minor Planet Center.
  9. [9]
    "FAQ: Why don't you have Jovian satellite S/2000 J11 in your system?". JPL Solar System Dynamics. Retrieved February 13, 2011.
  10. [10]
    "Lunar marriage may have given Jupiter a ring", New Scientist, March 20, 2010, p. 16.(subscription required)
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