The Moons of the Solar System
The Solar System is home to a vast and diverse collection of natural satellites, commonly known as moons, orbiting planets and minor planets. These celestial bodies offer crucial insights into the formation and evolution of their parent bodies and the Solar System as a whole.
Major Moons of the Inner Solar System
The inner Solar System (Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars) has relatively few moons compared to the outer Solar System.
Earth's Moon
The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It is the fifth largest moon in the Solar System. Its synchronous rotation means the same side is always facing Earth.
|
Parent Body |
Moon Name |
Discovery Date |
Key Feature |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Earth |
Moon |
Prehistoric |
Largest relative to its planet |
Martian Moons
Mars has two small, irregularly shaped moons, Phobos and Deimos, which are thought to be captured asteroids.
|
Parent Body |
Moon Name |
Discovered By |
|---|---|---|
|
Mars |
Phobos |
Asaph Hall |
|
Mars |
Deimos |
Asaph Hall |
Moons of the Outer Solar System
The gas giants (Jupiter and Saturn) and ice giants (Uranus and Neptune) are orbited by hundreds of moons, many of which are icy and geologically active.
Jovian System
Jupiter has 95 confirmed moons. The four largest, known as the Galilean moons, are of particular interest.
|
Moon Name |
Diameter (km) |
Orbit Period (Earth Days) |
Unique Characteristic |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Io |
3,643 |
1.77 |
Most volcanically active body in the Solar System |
|
Europa |
3,121 |
3.55 |
Possesses a subsurface ocean |
|
Ganymede |
5,268 |
7.15 |
Largest moon in the Solar System, has its own magnetic field |
|
Callisto |
4,821 |
16.69 |
Heavily cratered, geologically inactive |
Saturnian System
Saturn has 146 confirmed moons, including the second-largest moon in the Solar System, Titan.
Titan is unique among Solar System moons because it has a dense atmosphere and stable bodies of liquid on its surface.
Uranian and Neptunian Systems
Uranus and Neptune also have several notable moons.
|
Parent Body |
Moon Name |
Key Feature |
|---|---|---|
|
Uranus |
Titania |
Largest moon of Uranus |
|
Uranus |
Miranda |
Exhibits extreme geological features |
|
Neptune |
Triton |
Retrograde orbit, geysers of nitrogen gas |
Pluto and Other Minor Planets
Minor planets and dwarf planets, like Pluto, also possess moons. Pluto's largest moon, Charon, is so large that the two are sometimes considered a binary system.