2003: the year Jupiter’s moon count exploded

Eukelade was one of a flood of discoveries.

Published 2026-10-23

Eukelade was discovered on 6 February 2003 by Scott Sheppard at Mauna Kea.^[2]

Before and after

Large surveys between 2000 and 2004 raised Jupiter’s known moon count from 17 to 63.^[5]

February 2003

Using the Canada–France–Hawaii Telescope, Sheppard’s team found 19 moons in February 2003.^[5]

Naming

Names for many of these moons came later. Eukelade was named in March 2005, with an “e” ending for its retrograde orbit.^[1]

Today

Jupiter now has 115 known moons as of 9 April 2026.^[5]

Numbered citations link to the sources list on the Eukelade overview page.