Did Isonoe start out as a Hilda asteroid?

The 3:2 resonance family that may have supplied Jupiter’s Carme moons.

Published 2026-10-23

NASA suggests the Carme group’s parent was a D-type asteroid, possibly from the Hilda family or the Jupiter trojans.^[2]

What the Hildas are

The Hilda asteroids are a dynamical group of more than 7,000 asteroids beyond the main belt but inside Jupiter’s orbit.^[5]

The 3:2 dance

They are in a 3:2 resonance with Jupiter: while Jupiter orbits twice, the Hildas orbit three times.^[5]

Timed with Jupiter

Hildas reach the far point of their orbits just as one of Jupiter’s L3, L4 or L5 Lagrange points arrives there.^[5]

The colour link

Isonoe’s light-red colour is similar to D-type asteroids — a clue that fits this origin story.^[1]

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