Thursday, March 28

How many moons does Jupiter have? Latest discoveries of 2022

Jupiter
Jupiter

There are many research studies going on the planets. The astronomist who are working harder to trace humans and living existence on other planets look at Jupiter’s moons with opportunities. There are 80 moons discovered by 2022. Among them, fifty-seven moons have been given official names by the International Astronomical Union (IAU), and rest 23 moons are to be named officially.

There is a lot to explore about the moons revolving around Jupiter but the main center of attraction is the first four moons revolving around Jupiter beyond the earth. Here we are going to know interesting facts about Jupiter’s moons and their latest discoveries.

Table of Contents

Let’s talk about the first four of Jupiter’s moon.

The first four moons of Jupiter are known as Galilean moons. they are Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto.


Galilean Moons

jupiter's-moons
Galilean moons

The name Galilean moons are given after the name of the Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei, he was the first to observe them in 1610. The German astronomer Simon Marius also claimed that he observed the Jupiter’s moons around the same time but he didn’t publish his discovery as a result Galileo was given all the credit for the discovery.

Io

Jupiters moon io

It is one of the most volcanically active bodies in the solar system. Io’s surface is covered by sulfur in different colorful forms. it travels in its slightly elliptical orbit. “Tides” on the solid surface rise 300 feet (100 meters ) high due to the excessive gravity of Jupiter. It generates enough heat for volcanic activity and drives off any water. These volcanoes are driven by hot silicate magma.

Europa

Europa
Europa

Europa is considered as covered mostly with water ice and is supposed to be covering an ocean of water or slushy ice beneath. Astronomists have proper evidence for their discoveries. It is claimed that Europa has twice as much water as does Earth. Astrobiologists have given more attention to Europa cause of its possibility of having a “habitable zone”. The extreme places of Earth-like subterranean volcanoes have evidence of having life forms that are similar to what may exist on Europa.

Ganymede

Ganymede
Ganymede

Jupiter’s moon Ganymede is the largest moon in the solar system. The moon is even larger than the planet Mercury. It is also the only planet to have its own internally generated magnetic field.

Callisto

Callisto
Callisto

Callisto’s surface is heavily cratered and a visible record of events from the early history of the solar system. the very few small craters on Callisto indicate a small degree of current surface activity.

Structure of Galilean moons

There are different interiors of planets and moons as the earth has a layered structure, The Jupiter’s moons Io, Europa, and Ganymede have the same as Earth. It has a core, and a mantle of at least partially molten rock, topped by a crust of solid rock coated with sulfur compounds.

Europa and Ganymede both have a rock envelope around the core and a thin crust of impure water ice. On the other hand Europa, a global water layer probably lies just below the icy crust. While Layering at Callisto is less well defined and appears to be mainly a mixture of ice and rock.

List of Jupiter’s moon

LabelNameDiameter (km)Discovery yearDiscoverer
1XVIMetis60×40×341979Synnott(Voyager 1)
2XVAdrastea20×16×131979Jewitt(Voyager 2)
3VAmalthea250×146×1281892Barnard
4XIVThebe116×98×841979Synnott(Voyager 1)
5IIo3,660.0×3,637.4×3,630.61610Galilei (Galilei moons)
6IIEuropa3,121.61610Galilei (Galilei moons)
7IIIGanymede5,262.41610Galilei (Galilei moons)
8IVCallisto4,820.61610Galilei (Galilei moons)
9XVIIIThemisto81975/2000Kowal & Roemer/Sheppard et al.
10XIIILeda161974Kowal
11VIHimalia1701904Perrine
12XLysithea361938Nicholson
13VIIElara861905Perrine
14Dia42001Sheppard et al.
15XLVICarpo32003Sheppard et al.
16S/2003 J 1212003Sheppard et al.
17XXXIVEuporie22002Sheppard et al.
18S/2003 J 322003Sheppard et al.
19S/2003 J 1822003Gladman et al.
20XLIIThelxinoe22003Sheppard et al.
21XXXIIIEuanthe32002Sheppard et al.
22XLVHelike42003Sheppard et al.
23XXXVOrthosie22002Sheppard et al.
24XXIVIocaste52001Sheppard et al.
25S/2003 J 1622003Gladman et al.
26XXVIIPraxidike72001Sheppard et al.
27XXIIHarpalyke42001Sheppard et al.
28XLMneme22003Gladman et al.
29XXXHermippe42002Sheppard et al.
30XXIXThyone42002Sheppard et al.
31XIIAnanke281951Nicholson
32LHerse22003Gladman et al.
33XXXIAitne32002Sheppard et al.
34XXXVIIKale22002Sheppard et al.
35XXTaygete52001Sheppard et al.
36S/2003 J 1922003Gladman et al.
37XXIChaldene42001Sheppard et al.
38S/2003 J 1522003Sheppard et al.
39S/2003 J 1022003Sheppard et al.
40S/2003 J 2322004Sheppard et al.
41XXVErinome32001Sheppard et al.
42XLIAoede42003Sheppard et al.
43XLIVKallichore22003Sheppard et al.
44XXIIIKalyke52001Sheppard et al.
45XICarme461938Nicholson
46XVIICallirrhoe92000Gladman et al.
47XXXIIEurydome32002Sheppard et al.
48XXXVIIIPasithee22002Sheppard et al.
49XLIXKore22003Sheppard et al.
50XLVIIICyllene22003Sheppard et al.
51XLVIIEukelade42003Sheppard et al.
52S/2003 J 422003Sheppard et al.
53VIIIPasiphaë601908Gladman et al.
54XXXIXHegemone32003Sheppard et al.
55XLIIIArche32002Sheppard et al.
56XXVIIsonoe42001Sheppard et al.
57S/2003 J 912003Sheppard et al.
58S/2003 J 542003Sheppard et al.
59IXSinope381914Nicholson
60XXXVISponde22002Sheppard et al.
61XXVIIIAutonoe42002Sheppard et al.
62XIXMegaclite52001Sheppard et al.
63S/2003 J 222003Sheppard et al.
Source: Wikipedia.com

Also read: Interesting facts about clouds

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