keplereleven:  Two New Moons Found Orbiting Jupiter Two new moons have been found orbiting Jupiter, bringing the Jovian family count up to 66 natural satellites. Currently known as S/2011 J1 and S/2011 J2, the new moons were first identified in images acquired with the Magellan-Baade Telescope at the Las Campanas Observatory in Chile on September 27, 2011.  The objects are among the smallest moons yet discovered in the solar system, each measuring only about a kilometer (0.62 mile) wide. Unlike Jupiter's four large Galilean moons, which are visible from Earth with even small backyard telescopes, both new moons are dim and very distant from the planet, taking about 580 and 726 days to complete their orbits. Due to their odd orbits, the moons are likely asteroid or comet pieces that were long ago captured by Jupiter's gravity rather than developing in place during the formation of the planet itself.
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