[ad_1]
US scientists have discovered twelve new moons on the planet Jupiter. This brings to 79 the total number of known moons of Jupiter, scientists said Tuesday around Scott Sheppard of the Carnegie Institution for Science. Jupiter has more moons than any other planet in our solar system.
Researchers using a telescope in Chile were actually looking for the almost mystical "X-Planet" in the extremes of the solar system when it appeared in the spring of 2017 to hit the moons. "Jupiter was near the area in the sky where we were looking," said scientist Sheppard. "So, thanks to a happy coincidence, we could simultaneously search for new Jupiter moons and planets at the edge of our solar system."
Swarm was probably created after clashes
Eleven newly discovered moons known relatively similar, he was told by the researchers. Nine are part of a lunar flock a little further away from Jupiter, orbiting the planet once every two years or so. Scientists predict that this swarm was once composed of three larger objects that would break down afterwards, perhaps after striking other objects.
Two of the newly discovered moons belong to a group closer to Jupiter and the same direction as the planet rotates. These moons, which take about a year around Jupiter, were probably part of a bigger object.
The Moon of Jupiter is a Nerd
The twelfth moon that scientists have rediscovered is a nerd: something farther from Jupiter than the two newly discovered moons and of less than one kilometer in diameter, c & rsquo; Is probably the smallest known moon of Jupiter.
The celestial body revolves around its planet every year and a half. This orbit is extremely unstable and likely to hit other objects, says Sheppard.
Twelve Years to Surround the Sun
Jupiter is by far the largest planet in our solar system and the brightest object of the Sun, Moon and Venus. Compared to this "king of all the planets", the Earth looks like a tiny thing: Jupiter is eleven times the diameter of our planet at almost 143,000 kilometers.
For an orbit around the sun, the giant needs almost twelve years around his own axis but less than ten hours. The atmosphere of the planet named after the Roman godfather consists mainly of hydrogen and helium.
New volcano on Io
The first four moons discovered by Galileo in 1610 bear the name of the lover of the Greek god Zeus: Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto
Researchers of the US space agency Nasa come to discover another possible volcano at Io. With an infrared measuring device, the "Juno" probe collected data at about 470,000 kilometers, indicating a new source of heat on the moon, NASA said.
Up to now, more than 150 active volcanoes have been discovered Scientists estimate that there could still be about 250 others. Launched in 2011 from the Cape Canaveral Spaceport in Florida, Juno orbited Jupiter in July 2016.
Stay updated with today.at's newsletter
You might also be interested in:
(kko / 20 minutes)
Source link
