Some of the moons hadn't been spotted yet because they are tiny, measuring less than 1 mile in diameter.
Astronomers first detected the new Jupiter moons in 2021 and 2022 using telescopes in Hawaii and Chile. Follow-up observations confirmed their existence.
The new moons range in size from 0.6 miles to 2 miles in diameter, according to Scott Sheppard of the Carnegie Institution, who was part of the team that cataloged the new objects. "I hope we can image one of these outer moons close-up in the near future to better determine their origins," Sheppard explained in the statement.
That wish may come true pretty soon. That's because the European Space Agency aims to launch its Jupiter Icy moons Explorer mission in April. The mission will launch on one of the last Ariane 5 rocket launches from Kourou in French Guiana. It will send a spacecraft to orbit and explore Jupiter and its icy moons Europa, Callisto, and Ganymede.
With strong evidence for an ocean of liquid water beneath its icy crust, Jupiter's moon Europa could have conditions suitable for life. In 2024, our spacecraft will set off to take a closer look.
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