Jupiter contains a number of small moons that are thought to be captured comets or material ejected by collisions with larger objects.What is the evidence for this theory?
A)Spacecraft have sampled them,and they are known to be comets.
B)Their orbits are highly elliptical,off the plane of the ecliptic,and many are retrograde,which is unlikely for satellite formed during planetary accretion.
C)They are too big to have been formed during planetary accretion.
D)Analyses from spacecraft show they have compositions completely different than Jupiter or its moons.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The highly elliptical, off-plane orbits and retrograde motion of Jupiter's small moons suggest that they could not have formed during planetary accretion, which supports the theory that they are captured comets or ejected material from collisions with larger objects. None of the other choices are entirely true: A is not applicable to all of the small moons, C is not necessarily true, and D does not suggest anything about their origin.

Jupiter Contains a Number of Small Moons That Are Thought