The Big Moons of Jupiter:

The Gallilean Satellites

Io

Europa

Ganymede

Callisto

Comparing the Gallilean Satellites

Image courtesy of: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/galileo/callisto/c-summary.html

Moon

Mass

kg

Radius

km

Density

g/cm^3

Distance from Jupiter km

Surface features
Ganymede
1.48e23
2631
1.94 
1,070,000
 icy
Callisto

1.08e23

2400
1.86
1,883,000
cratered
Io
8.93e22
1815
 3.57
422,000
cratered 
Europa
4.8e22
1564
3.01
670,900
smooth

 

Jupiter has many other moons. Some of them are believed to be remnants of asteroids that were caught by Jupiter and broken up. Two such groups are: Ananke, Carme, Pasiphae and Sinope, and Leda, Himalia, Lysithea and Elara. These eight moons make up the group that is farthest out from their planet, at approximately 23 million km and 11 million km, respectively.

In recent years, more moons have been discovered. Some of them have been named, and some haven't. They are believed to be more remnants of captured asteroids, but that has yet to be proven. For more information on these new moons, please visit http://seds.lpl.arizona.edu/nineplanets/nineplanets/1999j1.html

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photos courtesy of: www.jpl.nasa.gov/galileo/moons/moons.html