Dia

Image of Jupiter moon Dia taken by the Magellan telescope.
These three images show the rediscovery of Dia from the Magellan telescope at Las Campanas, Chile. Each image was taken about 30 minutes apart, which allows the moon, marked by a green box, to be seen moving relative to the steady-state of background stars. Jupiter's bright glare can be seen on the left side of the images

Discovery

Dia was discovered in 2000 by S.S. Sheppard, D.C. Jewitt, Y. Fernandez, and G. Magnier using the University of Hawaii's 2.2 m (88 inch) telescope atop Mauna Kea. The moon was then lost in Jupiter's bright glare for several years. Dia was rediscovered in images obtained by the Magellan Telescope in 2010 and 2011.

Overview

With a prograde orbit and a radius of about 1.2 miles (2 km), Dia is among the smallest member of the Himalia group (made up of Himalia, Leda, Lysithea, and Elara).

How Dia Got its Name

Dia is a Greek name meaning "she who belongs to Zeus" (who became Jupiter in Roman mythology). Dia was the divine daughter of the seashore. The tiny moon was originally called S/2000 J11 because it is a satellite that was discovered in 2000, and was the 11th satellite of Jupiter to be found that year.

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