Valetudo (moon)


Valetudo, also known as Jupiter LXII and originally known as S/2016 J 2, is a moon of Jupiter. It was discovered by Scott S. Sheppard and his team in data acquired by the 6.5-m Magellan-Baade telescope of the Las Campanas Observatory in 2016, but was not announced until 17 July 2018, via a Minor Planet Electronic Circular from the Minor Planet Center, which also reported the discovery of nine other Jupiter moons. Besides data from Las Campanas, the original announcement also referred to data acquired through the 8.1-m Gemini North telescope — of the Mauna Kea Observatories — as well as the 4.0-m reflector of the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory.

Characteristics

Valetudo has a diameter of about and orbits Jupiter at a distance of about. Its orbital inclination is 34 degrees, and its orbital eccentricity is 0.222. It has a prograde orbit, but it crosses paths with several other moons that have retrograde orbits and may in the future collide with them.

Name

The moon was provisionally designated as until it received its name in 2018. The name Valetudo was proposed for it as part of its announcement, after the Roman goddess of health and hygiene and a great-granddaughter of the god Jupiter. The name was approved by the IAU Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature on 3 October 2018.