Jupiter’s Moons
Jupiter has 95 known moons. Notable moons include:
- Io:
- Diameter: 3,643 km (2,264 miles)
- Orbit:
- Average Distance from Jupiter: 421,700 km (261,000 miles)
- Orbital Period: 1.8 days
- Composition: Primarily silicate rock with a thin atmosphere of sulfur dioxide.
- Surface Features: Extremely volcanically active with hundreds of volcanoes and sulfurous deposits.
- Europa:
- Diameter: 3,121 km (1,940 miles)
- Orbit:
- Average Distance from Jupiter: 670,900 km (416,900 miles)
- Orbital Period: 3.5 days
- Composition: Icy surface with a possible subsurface ocean.
- Surface Features: Ice-covered with ridges, bands, and evidence of tectonic activity.
- Ganymede:
- Diameter: 5,268 km (3,273 miles)
- Orbit:
- Average Distance from Jupiter: 1,070,000 km (664,000 miles)
- Orbital Period: 7.2 days
- Composition: Ice and rock with a possible subsurface ocean.
- Surface Features: The largest moon in the Solar System, with a magnetic field and a surface of mixed rocky and icy terrain.
- Callisto:
- Diameter: 4,821 km (2,995 miles)
- Orbit:
- Average Distance from Jupiter: 1,882,700 km (1,169,000 miles)
- Orbital Period: 16.7 days
- Composition: Icy and rocky surface.
- Surface Features: Heavily cratered and old surface with a possible subsurface ocean.
