Jupiter's Got Twelve New Moons — One is a Bit of a Problem Child

The orbits of the twelve newly discovered moons of Jupiter are shown here in bold. One moon is located in the outer group but orbits in the opposite direction. (Credit: Roberto Molar-Candanosa/Carnegie Institution for Science)Jupiter’s family has really grown since Galileo first recorded its four largest moons in 1610. On Tuesday, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) announced the discovery of 10 new moons orbiting Jupiter. Along with two found through the same research project but announced in June 2017, this brings the roster of Jupiter’s known natural satellites to 79. One of these new moons turned out to be a bit of a rebel. Of the 12 latest moons to join Jupiter’s family, it’s a maverick whose odd orbit may give astronomers crucial insights to understanding how the moons of Jupiter came to be.