Pandia

Also known as S/2017 J 4, Jupiter LXV

Moon of Jupiter in the Himalia group

Key facts

Discovered by: Scott S. Sheppard
Discovery site: Cerro Tololo Obs.
Discovery date: 23 March 2017
Designation: Jupiter LXV
Pronunciation: / p æ n ˈ d aɪ ə /
Named after: Πανδία Pandīa
Alternative names: S/2017 J 4
Observation arc: 7 years, 2024-12-03 (last obs)
Satellite of: Jupiter
Group: Himalia group
Proper semi major axis: 11,481,000 km (0.07675 AU ) AU
Proper inclination: 29.0° (to ecliptic )
Proper mean motion

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Article

Pandia /pænˈdaɪə/, also designated Jupiter LXV, is a small outer natural satellite of Jupiter discovered by Scott S. Sheppard on 11 May 2018, using the 4.0-meter Víctor M. Blanco Telescope at Cerro Tololo Observatory, Chile. It was announced alongside nine other Jovian moons on 17 July 2018 and it provisionally designated S/2017 J 4 by the Minor Planet Center, after observations were collected over a long enough time span to confirm the satellite's orbit. The satellite has been found in precovery observations as early as 2003.

Pandia is part of the Himalia group, a tight cluster of prograde irregular moons of Jupiter that follow similar orbits to Himalia at semi-major axes between 11–12 million km (6.8–7.5 million mi) and inclinations between 26–31°. With an estimated diameter of 3 km (1.9 mi) for an absolute magnitude of 16.2, it is one of the smallest known members of the Himalia group.