Ganymede is the largest moon in our solar system. Great Moons of Our Solar System 2020-02-08

List of Solar System objects by size

This would make it difficult for any hot-water vents to bring nutrients into the ocean, which is one scenario under which scientists believe extraterrestrial life would occur. Forty percent of the surface of Ganymede is covered by highly cratered dark regions, and the remaining sixty percent is covered by a light grooved terrain, which forms intricate patterns across Ganymede. Written By Kier Harris Very good list. Scientists think that there is a saltwater ocean beneath the surface of Ganymede. The atmosphere of Io mostly consists of Sulphur dioxide. Jupiter has 63 moons, so there are plenty more facts for you to discover.

Ganymede: Meet the Largest Moon in our Solar System

It has a diameter of 5,268 km. It takes Ganymede about seven Earth-days to orbit Jupiter. A global image mosaic of Jupiter's moon, Ganymede created with images from the Voyager and Galileo missions. And this ocean contains two to three times the amount of water on Earth. The ice sublimates and diffuses away from the moon.

What is the Largest Moon in the Solar System?

The satellite orbits around Jupiter at a distance of 1,0700,400 km and takes 7. What does the largest moon in the Solar System look like? The cratered dark regions on Ganymede are nearing 4 billion years old and the lighter area are thought to be younger. To begin with, Ganymede was the first moon that was discovered orbiting another planet. Enceladus- The Ring-Bearer Enceladus is one of the inner-most moons of Saturn. This artist's concept shows Ganymede in the shadow of Jupiter, with its aurorae glowing. At that time, the four moons got their names of Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto.

In Depth

The Galileo spacecraft passed as low as 162 miles 261 km over the surfaces of the Galilean moons and produced detailed images. Ganymede is 2% larger than Saturn's Titan, the Sol. Due to the open magnetic fields, the auroras occur around the poles of the moon. It may be a long way off, but Titan is one of our best chances for colonizing, strip mining, and polluting yet another body in the solar system. There are also a number of bumps on Ganymede's surface, which may be rock formations. Well, the question to this answer keeps changing. Magnetosphere: Ganymede is the only satellite in the solar system to have a magnetosphere.

In Depth

In fact, the entire surface is covered with volcanoes. Ganymede, in its natural colors, sports a large oval dark region known as. Discovery Ganymede was discovered by Galileo Galilei on Jan. Technological advancements have made it possible for man to discover and even go on expeditions to the moon. Epimetheus and Janus- The Moons That Narrowly Avoid Collision Epimetheus and Janus are two moons of Saturn that share almost the same orbit, which is probably the result of them being the same moon a long time ago. Millions of Smaller Moons The major moons are vastly outnumbered by the smaller moons.

In Depth

A 2014 published study indicated that there is a good chance that there might be several layers of saltwater stacked beneath the surface of Ganymede, and may extend down as far as 124 miles. An called Ida takes up most of the space, and Dactyl is that teensy little dot on the right. Scientists also believe that there is a good chance that Ganymede may have an underground ocean. The brighter portion is with grooves which were likely formed as the result of some tectonic activities or water being released from beneath the surface and stretching for thousands of miles. Its discovery was made by Galileo Galilei the Italian astronomer on January 7, 1610.

Largest Moon

Till date, there are 79 moons of Jupiter. It has a smooth and bright surface, with a layer of water surrounding the mantle of the planet, thought to be 100 kilometers thick. It would of course cause much higher tidal forces than the moon. Europa- The One With Vast Oceans Europa, another moon of Jupiter, has one of the smoothest surfaces in the solar system. Many thousands of objects of this size range have yet to be discovered in the trans-Neptunian region. The atmosphere is too thin and at minus 457 degrees, far too cold.

Largest Moon

The grooves, which were likely formed as a result of tectonic activity or water being released from beneath the surface, are as high as 2,000 feet and stretch for thousands of miles. This portion of the terrain was most likely formed by tensional faulting or the release of water from beneath the surface. It has bright, large areas of grooves and ridges that cut across the darker, older regions. A large, dark region contains a series of concentric grooves, created during a period of geologic activity. These conditions may make Titan the. While hydrogen due to its low atomic mass disappears rapidly, a small amount of oxygen maintains its atmosphere.