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2006-12-15 03:11:16 · 5 answers · asked by Anusatya 2 in Science & Mathematics Astronomy & Space

5 answers

At least 63 natural satellites orbit Jupiter. They are conveniently divided into six main groups (in order of increasing distance from the planet): Amalthea, Galilean, Himalia, Ananke, Carme, and Pasiphae. The first group is comprised of the four innermost satellites—Metis, Adrastea, Amalthea, and Thebe. The red color of Amalthea (diameter: 117 mi/189 km), a small, elongated satellite discovered (1892) by Edward Barnard, probably results from a coating of sulfur particles ejected from Io. Metis (diameter: 25 mi/40 km), Adrastea (diameter: 12 mi/20 km), and Thebe (diameter: 62 mi/100 km) are all oddly shaped and were discovered in 1979 in photographs returned to earth by the Voyager 1 space probe. Metis and Adrastea orbit close to Jupiter's thin ring system; material ejected from these moons helps maintain the ring.

The four largest satellites—Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto—were discovered by Galileo in 1610, shortly after he invented the telescope, and are known as the Galilean satellite group. Io (diameter: 2,255 mi/3,630 km), the closest to Jupiter of the four, is the most active geologically, with 30 active volcanoes that are probably energized by the tidal effects of Jupiter's enormous mass. Europa (diameter: 1,960 mi/3,130 km) is a white, highly reflecting body whose smooth surface is covered with dark streaks up to 43 mi/70 km in width and from several hundred to several thousand miles in length. Ganymede (diameter: 3,268 mi/5,262 km), second most distant of the four and the largest satellite in the solar system, has heavily cratered regions, tens of miles across, that are surrounded by younger, grooved terrain. Callisto (diameter: 3,000 mi/4,806 km), the most distant and the least active geologically of the four, has a heavily cratered surface. Themisto (diameter: 5 mi/8 km) orbits Jupiter midway between the Galilean and next main group of satellites, the Himalias. The Himalia group consists of five tightly clustered satellites with orbits outside that of Callisto—Leda (diameter: 6 mi/10 km), Himalia (diameter: 106 mi/170 km), Lysithea (diameter: 15 mi/24 km), Elara (diameter: 50 mi/80 km), and S/2000 J11 (diameter: 2.5 mi/4 km). These 14 inner satellites are regular, that is, their orbits are relatively circular, near equatorial, and prograde, i.e., moving in the same orbital direction as the planet. Almost all of the remainder are irregular in that their orbits are large, elliptical, inclined to that of the planet, and usually retrograde, i.e., motion opposite to that of the planet's rotation. (Jupiter's irregular satellites are distinguished from the regular by the spelling of their names, which all end in the letter “e”.)

Situated between the Himalia and Ananke groups is Carpo (diameter: 2 mi/3 km), which like Thermisto doesn't seem to fit into any of the main groups. The Ananke group comprises 17 satellites, which share similar orbits and range from 1.2 to 2.5 mi (2–4 km) in diameter except for two: S/2003 J12, Euporie, Orthosie, Euanthe, Thyone, Mneme, Harpalyke, Hermippe, Praxidike (diameter: 4.5 mi/7 km), Thelexinoe, Iocaste, Ananke (diameter: 12.5 mi/20 km), S/2003 J16, S/2003 J3, S/2003 J18, Helike, and S/2003 J15.

2006-12-15 03:16:23 · answer #1 · answered by aksh_1991 2 · 0 1

The four large Galilean moons (the ones easy to see with a small telescope): Io Europa Ganymede Callisto Others: Amalthea Adrastea Metis Thebe Leda Himalia Lysithea Elara Ananke Carme Pasiphae Sinope This list is a few years old (late nineties). There may be a few more discovered since the Galileo mission -- certainly many very small satellites that don't have proper names. This is what I have.

2016-03-17 21:43:55 · answer #2 · answered by Virginia 4 · 0 0

there are 62 objects around Jupiter according to wikipedia.. but the first 16 are, Metis, Adrastea, Amaltea, Thebe, Io, Europa, Gannymede, Callisto, Themisto, Leda, Himalia, Lysithe, Elare,
S/200 J11, Carpo, S/200 J12, etc.

2006-12-15 03:17:36 · answer #3 · answered by Tapestry6 7 · 1 1

63 Moons of Jupiter

Metis
Adrastea...
more:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jupiter%27s_natural_satellites#Table_of_known_moons

2006-12-15 03:19:03 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

As I said..........

2006-12-15 03:28:49 · answer #5 · answered by ag_iitkgp 7 · 0 2

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