Asteroid (6) Hebe
In 1977, a possible moon orbiting the asteroid Hebe was suggested.
Discovery of a Possible Moon[]
In 1977, during the eclipse of the asteroid Hebe, astronomer Paul D. Maley made a groundbreaking observation—he noticed a small potential moon. This object, later named Jebe, was estimated to be about 20 kilometers in diameter and located approximately 900 kilometers from the asteroid (6) Hebe.
Development of Research and New Discoveries[]
Seventeen years later, in 1994, the first confirmed asteroid moon was discovered. This moon, orbiting the asteroid (243) Ida, was named Dactyl. However, despite this, the existence of a moon around asteroid (6) Hebe remained unconfirmed.
Observations and Doubts[]
To verify the existence of the potential moon Jebe, numerous detailed observations were conducted using powerful modern telescopes such as the Very Large Telescope (VLT) and the Hubble Space Telescope. Despite these extensive efforts, astronomers were unable to detect any signs of a moon orbiting asteroid (6) Hebe.