Galilean moons

They are planetary-mass moons and among the largest objects in the Solar System. All four, along with Titan, Triton, and Earth''s Moon, are larger than any of the Solar System''s dwarf planets. The largest, Ganymede, is the largest moon in the Solar System and surpasses the planet Mercury in size (though not mass). Callisto is only slightly

Jupiter: A guide to the largest planet in the solar system

Jupiter is the biggest planet in the solar system and has 79 moons. Learn more about the gas giant in our ultimate guide. And for an in-depth video look at the solar system''s biggest planet,

Jupiter

Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system. If Jupiter was a hollow shell, 1,000 Earths could fit inside. Jupiter also is the oldest planet, forming from the dust and gases left over from the Sun''s formation 4.5 billion years ago. But it has the shortest day in the solar system, taking only 10.5 hours to spin around once on its axis.

Natural satellite

The seven largest natural satellites in the Solar System (those bigger than 2,500 km across) are Jupiter''s Galilean moons (Ganymede, Callisto, Io, and Europa), Saturn''s moon Titan, Earth''s moon, and Neptune''s captured natural satellite Triton. Triton, the smallest of these, has more mass than all smaller natural satellites together.

Planetary Satellites of the Solar System

Although satellites are typically associated with the man-made spacecra ft that orbit our Earth, there are far more satellites in our solar system. Most of these are natural satellites, or moons, that can be found orbiting other planets. We, humans, tend to look far beyond our solar system to search for life or for interesting celestial objects

Moons of the Solar System

Moons of the Solar System. Moons — also called satellites — come in many shapes, sizes, and types. They are generally solid bodies, and few have atmo- Saturn''s moon Titan, the second largest in the solar system, is . the only moon with a thick atmosphere. Beyond Saturn, Uranus has 27 known moons. The inner moons

How Many Moons Does Jupiter Have | Biggest Moon In The Solar System

Being the largest planet in the Solar System, Jupiter has the second-largest number of moons. The first four of them – the Galilean moons – were discovered more than 400 years ago. The four largest moons of Jupiter were discovered in 1610 by Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei – that''s why they are also called the Galilean moons. At

Solar System

The Solar System [d] is the gravitationally bound system of the Sun and the objects that orbit it. [11] It formed about 4.6 billion years ago when a dense region of a molecular cloud collapsed, forming the Sun and a protoplanetary disc.The Sun is a typical star that maintains a balanced equilibrium by the fusion of hydrogen into helium at its core, releasing this energy from its

Natural satellite

OverviewOccurrence in the Solar SystemTerminologyOrigin and orbital characteristicsTidal lockingSatellites of satellitesTrojan satellitesAsteroid satellites

Besides planets and dwarf planets objects within our Solar System known to have natural satellites are 76 in the asteroid belt (five with two each), four Jupiter trojans, 39 near-Earth objects (two with two satellites each), and 14 Mars-crossers. There are also 84 known natural satellites of trans-Neptunian objects. Some 150 additional small bodies have been observed within the rings of Saturn,

Jupiter

Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system. If Jupiter was a hollow shell, 1,000 Earths could fit inside. Jupiter also is the oldest planet, forming from the dust and gases left over from the Sun''s formation 4.5 billion years ago. But it

Titan (moon)

Titan is the largest moon of Saturn and the second-largest in the Solar System is the only moon known to have an atmosphere denser than the Earth''s and is the only known object in space—other than Earth—on which there is clear evidence that stable bodies of liquid exist. Titan is one of seven gravitationally rounded moons of Saturn and the second-most distant among

Ganymede: A guide to the largest moon in the solar

Ganymede is larger than Europa, the largest of all moons we have in the solar system. And it is the only moon that produces its own magnetic field in the interior. And it is the only moon that

Jupiter

Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest in the Solar System is a gas giant with a mass more than 2.5 times that of all the other planets in the Solar System combined and slightly less than one-thousandth the mass of the Sun. Its diameter is eleven times that of Earth, and a tenth that of the Sun. Jupiter orbits the Sun at a distance of 5.20 AU (778.5 Gm), with an orbital

10 Largest Moons in the Solar System

Learning which moons are the largest is a great place to start the educational process. Oberon; Orbits: Uranus Diameter: 196 miles Year discovered : 1787 Ganymede is the largest moon in the solar system. It''s big enough to be considered a planet as it''s larger than Mercury and Pluto. Similar to planets, Ganymede has three layers; a

Galilean Satellites

They are among the largest objects in the Solar System with the exception of the Sun and the eight planets, with radii larger than any of the dwarf planets. Ganymede is the largest moon in the Solar System, and is even bigger than the planet Mercury. The three inner moons (Io, Europa, and Ganymede) are in a 4:2:1 orbital resonance with each other.

Ganymede (moon)

Ganymede, or Jupiter III, is the largest and most massive natural satellite of Jupiter, and in the Solar System. Despite being the only moon in the Solar System with a substantial magnetic field, it is the largest Solar System object

List of natural satellites by size

Ganymede, the largest moon in the solar system. Below is a list of moons in the solar system, based on size. This list features natural satellites from each planet. Errors and Caveats [] Non-direct measurements of moons, especially small and far away moons can give inaccurate measurements, making this list potentially unreliable.

Moons of Our Solar System

Astronomers also have documented more than 470 satellites, or moons, orbiting smaller objects, such as asteroids, dwarf planets, or Kuiper Belt Objects (KBOs) beyond the orbit of Neptune. These moons are called s mall-body satellites.

Jupiter Facts

The four largest moons – Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto – were first observed by the astronomer Galileo Galilei in 1610 using an early version of the telescope. These four moons are known today as the Galilean satellites, and they''re some of the most fascinating destinations in our solar system.

Moons of Jupiter | Table, Names, Sizes, & List | Britannica

Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system and has, as of 2023, 95 known moons. The four largest moons of Jupiter—Io, Callisto, Ganymede, and Europa—were the first objects in the solar system discovered with a telescope. Galileo discovered them

Moons of Jupiter

Jupiter''s four largest moons were the first moons discovered beyond Earth. They are called the Galilean satellites after Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei, who is credited with their discovery in 1610. German astronomer Simon Marius observed them around the same time, but is largely forgotten because he published his findings after Galileo.

Moons: Facts

Moons – also called natural satellites – come in many shapes, sizes and types. They are generally solid bodies, and few have atmospheres. Most planetary moons probably formed out the discs of gas and dust circulating around planets in the early solar system. There are hundreds of moons in our solar system – even asteroids []

Ganymede: A guide to the largest moon in the solar system

Ganymede is larger than Europa, the largest of all moons we have in the solar system. And it is the only moon that produces its own magnetic field in the interior. And it is the only moon that

In Depth | Moons – NASA Solar System Exploration

Most moons in our solar system are named for mythological characters from a wide variety of cultures. Newer moons discovered at Saturn, for example, Titan, the second largest in the solar system, is the only moon with a thick atmosphere. In the realm of the ice giants, Uranus''s inner moons appear to be about half water ice and half rock.

Moons Of The Solar System (Natural Satellites)

Saturn is known to have at least 82 diverse moons (the most in the solar system) from the largest known as Titan, the icy Enceladus, spongy-looking Hyperion, ridged and two-faced Iapetus, the Death Star moon Mimas to the strangely smooth egg

Ganymede: Exploration

The discovery of Ganymede and Jupiter''s three other largest moons – Europa, Io, and Callisto – forever changed the way we view our solar system. On Jan. 7, 1610, Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei was looking at Jupiter through his homemade telescope when he spotted what he thought were three small, bright stars near Jupiter. Soon, []