Ganymede: Largest Moon In The Solar System
Image: science.nasa.gov
26 May 2024
Ganymede, Jupiter's largest moon, holds the title of being the biggest moon in our solar system. It has a radius of 1,635 miles (2,631 kilometers)
Image: science.nasa.gov
Here are some interesting facts about it: Ganymede was discovered by Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei on January 7, 1610
Image: X/@tjapoenglaut
It is bigger in size than some of the planets like Mercury and Pluto and would have been classified as a planet if it was orbiting the sun
Image: science.nasa.gov
Ganymede comprises three layers—a metallic core, a rocky shell, and an icy surface
Image: science.nasa.gov
The moon likely has a salty ocean underneath its icy surface, making it a potential location for life
Image: science.nasa.gov
Astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope in 1995 found evidence of a thin oxygen atmosphere on Ganymede. They think the oxygen is coming from Ganymede's icy surface
Image: science.nasa.gov
Daytime temperatures on the surface average range from minus 171 degrees Fahrenheit to minus 297 F, according to NASA
Image: X/@astro_jaz
It is the only moon that produces its own magnetic field in the interior-- a discovery made by NASA's Galileo spacecraft in 1996
Image: X/@NASAHubble
This magnetic influence results in the captivating display of auroras at both its northern and southern poles, reminiscent of Earth's mesmerizing Aurora Borealis
Image: Unsplash
Ganymede completes an orbit around Jupiter about every seven Earth days. It orbits the Sun along with Jupiter and its other satellites every 12 Earth years
Image: science.nasa.gov
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Image: science.nasa.gov
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