How did galileo discover jupiter's moons
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Galilean moons
Four largest moons of Jupiter
The Galilean moons (),[1] or Galilean satellites, are the four largest moons of Jupiter: Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. They are the most readily visibleSolar System objects after Saturn, the dimmest of the classical planets; though their closeness to bright Jupiter makes naked-eye observation very difficult, they are readily seen with common binoculars, even under night skyconditions of high light pollution. The invention of the telescope allowed astronomers to discover the moons in 1610. Through this, they became the first Solar System objects discovered since humans have started tracking the classical planets, and the first objects to be found to orbit any planet beyond Earth.
They are planetary-mass moons and among the largest objects in the Solar System. All four, along with Titan, Triton, and Earth's Moon, are larger than any of the Solar System's dwarf planets. The largest, Ganymede, is the largest moon in the Solar System and surpasses the planet Mercury in size (though not mass). Callisto is only sl
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Jupiter's Galilean moons complete guide
Jupiter's Galilean moons are its four largest satelilites Io, Callisto, Europa and Ganymede.
They're known as the Galilean moons because the first recorded observation was by Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei in 1610.
The Galilean moons are fascinating worlds. Ganymede, for example, is the largest moon in the Solar System.
Io is the most volcanically active world in the Solar System, its volcanoes having been discovered by planetary scientist Linda Morabito during the Voyager mission.
Want to explore Jupiter's Galilean Moons for yourself? Read our guide on how to observe Jupiter through a telescope
Europa is an icy moon with a subsurface ocean lurking beneath its frozen crust, much like Saturn's moon Enceladus.
As a result, it's one of the best places in the Solar System to search for conditions that could support life.
Callisto is the third largest moon in the Solar System, after Saturn's moon Titan, and may be considered by some to be the lifeless, characterless member of the four Galilean moons.
However, there is evidence
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The Galilean Moons of JupiterThe Galilean Moons of Jupiter
Summary: Jupiter has more than 60 known moons, but understanding the geology of its four largest will hopefully lead to some groundbreaking discoveries.
Sections:
The Galilean Moons
Io: Volcanoes and all
Europa: What lies beneath?
Ganymede: Largest moon in the solar system
Callisto: The outermost Galilean moon
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The Moons of Jupiter
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Strange New Planet
The Galilean Moons
Each of the Jovian planets has a number of moons, although Jupiter has the most with more than 60 catalogued to date. Jupiter's 4 largest moons exhibit some of the most interesting geology in the solar system. They were discovered by Galileo Galilei and are known as the Galilean moons. Jupiter's largest moon, Ganymede, is larger than Mercury while the other three are larger than Pluto.
Outward from Jupiter:
- Io
- Europa
- Ganymede
- Callisto
The Galilean Moons of Jupiter
Io: Volcanoes and All
Jupiter's Moon Io
The Voyager spacecraft took the
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