Ganymede is the third Galilean moon from Jupiter and the largest of the four. This low-density moon is about the size of Mercury but has about half the mass. Its outstanding characteristic is that it is the only moon to have its own magnetic field.
What are Jupiter’s 3 biggest moons?
ESA Science & Technology – Jupiter’s largest moons
From top to bottom, the moons are Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto. Europa is almost the same size as Earth’s moon, while Ganymede, the largest moon in the Solar System, is larger than planet Mercury.
What are the names of Jupiter’s 4 moons?
67 moons orbit the great gas giant Jupiter; of these, the four largest are known as the Galilean moons, having been discovered by Galileo Galilei using his telescope in 1610. The four moons are Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto, in order of distance from Jupiter.
What is the 3rd largest moon?
Biggest Moons In Our Solar System
| Rank | Moon, Planet | Average Diameter |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ganymede, Jupiter | 5,262 kilometers |
| 2 | Titan, Saturn | 5,150 kilometers |
| 3 | Callisto, Jupiter | 4,821 kilometers |
| 4 | Io, Jupiter | 3,643 kilometers |
What is the name of Jupiter’s largest moon?
Ganymede. Ganymede is the largest satellite in our solar system. It is larger than Mercury and Pluto, and three-quarters the size of Mars.
Does Jupiter have 79 moons?
There are 79 known moons of Jupiter, not counting a number of moonlets likely shed from the inner moons.
What are the 4 Galilean moons?
A comparison “portrait” of Jupiter’s four Galilean moons Io, Europa, Gany- mede, and Callisto, each with different characteristics.
Can I see Jupiter moons with binoculars?
Jupiter is now at its best time of the year for viewing, so turn your binoculars or telescope on the giant planet for a glimpse of its 4 largest Galilean moons.
What is the largest moon of Saturn?
Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, is an icy world whose surface is completely obscured by a golden hazy atmosphere. Titan is the second largest moon in our solar system. Only Jupiter’s moon Ganymede is larger, by just 2 percent. Titan is bigger than Earth’s moon, and larger than even the planet Mercury.
What keeps Jupiter’s moons in orbit?
Jupiter’s moons stay in orbit because gravity pulls them towards Jupiter. it mainly happens like a game of tug of war . Two forces are included, one pulls the moons towards Jupiter , the other one pulls them towards space. … So Jupiter’s moons stay in orbit around Jupiter because Gravity pulls them !
What are the top 5 largest moons?
| Largest moons in the Solar System (diameter over 1,000 km) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Moon | Planet | Mass (planet = 1) |
| Ganymede | Jupiter | 7.80 x 10–5 |
| Titan | Saturn | 2.37 x 10–4 |
| Callisto | Jupiter | 5.67 x 10–5 |
Does Jupiter’s moon have life?
A new model from NASA scientists supports the theory that the interior ocean in Jupiter’s moon Europa would be able to sustain life.
Are any moons bigger than planets?
Moons are always smaller than the planet that they orbit (move around). … Jupiter’s moon Ganymede is the largest moon in the Solar System, and Ganymede as well as Saturn’s moon Titan are both larger than Mercury and Pluto.
What is the smallest moon?
Hippocamp is just 7,450 miles (12,000 km) interior to the largest and outermost of these other six, the 260-mile-wide (420 km) Proteus. Like Earth’s own moon, Proteus has been slowly spiraling away from its parent planet for eons — and so has Hippocamp, though at a much slower rate.
What is Jupiter’s smallest moon?
Astronomers have pinned down details of Jupiter’s smallest known moon, a tiny space rock barely a mile across. The moon, known as S/2010 J 2, was discovered in September 2010 along with a fellow shrimpy satellite called S/2010 J 1.
Is Ganymede a God?
Ganymede is the god of homosexual love and desire. He was a divine hero whose homeland was Troy and was the most beautiful of mortals.