Some of these moons still remain a mystery to astronomers, because man has not yet set foot everywhere, but somewhere the existence of living organisms is quite possible! But what we know for sure is at least their size. In this list, you will get to know the 10 largest planetary satellites in our solar system.
10. Oberon, satellite of Uranus (average diameter - 1523 kilometers)
Oberon, also known as Uranus IV, is the most distant satellite from the center of Uranus, the second largest satellite of this planet and the ninth largest among all known satellites of our solar system. Discovered in 1787 by explorer William Herschel, Oberon is named after the mythical king of the elves and fairies mentioned in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Oberon's orbit lies partly outside the magnetosphere of Uranus.
9. Rhea, satellite of Saturn (average diameter - 1529 kilometers)
Rhea is the second largest moon of Saturn and the ninth largest satellite in the entire solar system. At the same time, it is the second smallest cosmic body in our solar system, second only to the asteroid and dwarf planet Ceres in this ranking. Rhea received this status for confirmed data that she has hydrostatic balance. Discovered in 1672 by Giovanni Cassini.
8. Titania, satellite of Uranus (average diameter - 1578 kilometers)
It is the largest moon of Uranus and the eighth largest in the solar system. Discovered in 1787 by William Herschel, Titania was named after the fairy goddess in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Titania's orbit does not go beyond the magnetosphere of Uranus.
7. Triton, satellite of Neptune (average diameter - 2707 kilometers)
Triton is the largest moon of the planet Neptune, discovered on October 10, 1846 by the English astronomer William Lassell. It is the only large moon with a retrograde orbit in our solar system. Triton moves in the opposite direction to the rotation of its planet. At 2,707 kilometers in diameter, Triton is considered the seventh largest moon in the solar system. There was a time when Triton was considered a dwarf planet from the Kuiper asteroid belt due to properties similar to Pluto - retrograde and composition.
6. Europa, satellite of Jupiter (average diameter - 3122 kilometers)
It is the smallest of the Galilean moons orbiting Jupiter and the sixth closest to its planet. It is also the sixth largest satellite in the solar system. Galileo Galilei discovered Europa in 1610 and named this celestial body in honor of the legendary mother of the Cretan King Minos and mistress of Zeus.
5. Moon, satellite of the Earth (average diameter - 3475 kilometers)
Our Moon is believed to have formed 4.5 billion years ago shortly after the formation of the Earth itself. There are several hypotheses about its origin. The most common among them says that the Moon was formed from fragments after the collision of the Earth with the cosmic body Thei, comparable in size to Mars.
4. Io, satellite of Jupiter (average diameter - 3643 kilometers)
Io is the most geologically active celestial object in our solar system, and has earned this title for at least 400 active volcanoes. The reason for this extreme activity is the heating of the interior of the satellite due to tidal friction caused by the gravitational influence of Jupiter and other Galilean satellites (Europa, Ganymede and Callisto).
3. Callisto, satellite of Jupiter (average diameter - 4821 kilometers)
Galileo Galilei discovered Callisto, like some of Jupiter's other moons, in 1610. With impressive dimensions, this satellite is 99% of the diameter of Mercury, but only a third of its mass. Callisto is the fourth Galilean satellite of Jupiter in terms of distance from the center of the planet, with an orbital radius of 1,883,000 kilometers.
2. Titan, satellite of Saturn (average diameter - 5150 kilometers)
It is the sixth ellipsoidal satellite of Saturn. Very often it is called a planet-like satellite, because the diameter of Titan is 50% larger than the diameter of our moon. In addition, it is 80% heavier than the satellite of our Earth.
1. Ganymede, satellite of Jupiter (average diameter - 5262 kilometers)
Ganymede is equally composed of silicate rocks and frozen water. It is a fully differentiated, iron-rich celestial body with a liquid core and an outer ocean that may contain more water than the sum of all of the Earth's oceans. The surface of Ganymede is distinguished by two types of relief. The dark regions of the satellite are saturated with craters from asteroid impacts, which occurred presumably 4 billion years ago. This landform covers about a third of the satellite.
Elena is a moon of Saturn
The diversity in size and history of satellites is a real mystery to astronomers. Two of them are larger than the planet Mercury, and eight are larger than Pluto. Our neighbor - the Moon - the fifth largest natural satellite of the planets of the solar system, with a diameter of 3476 kilometers.
Most satellites are thought to have formed from a disk of debris that formed during the formation of the planet they orbit. However, Triton, Neptune's largest moon, and several of the smallest moons (including those of Mars), may have formed elsewhere in the solar system. Our Moon probably formed from debris from a Mars-sized object that collided with the early Earth - perhaps the most unique event in the history of the solar system.
planetary satellites
Earth- Moon
Mars— Phobos and Deimos
Jupiter- Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto (about 63 satellites in total, as of 2005)
Saturn- Mimas, Enceladus, Tethys, Dione, Rhea, Titan, Helen and Iapetus (62 satellites in total, not counting hundreds of large fragments in the planet's rings)
Uranus- Miranda, Ariel, Umbriel, Titania and Oberon (27 satellites in total)
Neptune- Triton, Proteus, Nereid, Naiad, Thalassa, Despina, Larissa and Galatea (13 satellites in total)
While most of the planets are named after Roman heroes (with the exception of Pluto and Uranus), most of the names of the moons come from Greek mythology. For example, Phobos and Deimos are the sons of Ares (the Greek version of Mars). All satellites of Jupiter are named after the favorites and other relatives of Zeus (Jupiter). The moons of Saturn are named after the Titans - Kronos (Saturn), the father of Zeus. The moons of Neptune are named after the mythological heroes associated with water, and Charon was the carrier of the dead, who delivered people to the realm of Pluto.
In accordance with tradition, the discoverer of the satellites could name them himself (now this is possible if approved by the International Astronomical Union). Sir William Herschel decided to name the moons of Uranus not after the names of the heroes of myths, but after the fairies of the king and queen from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. This marked the beginning of a tradition by which some of the satellites of the planets are named after the names of the magical heroes of English works.
Planets of the solar system - a bit of history
Previously, a planet was considered to be any body that revolves around a star, glows with light reflected from it, and has a size larger than that of asteroids.
Even in ancient Greece, seven luminous bodies were mentioned that move across the sky against the background of fixed stars. These cosmic bodies were: Sun, Mercury, Venus, Moon, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. Earth was not included in this list, since the ancient Greeks considered the Earth to be the center of all things.
And only in the 16th century, Nicolaus Copernicus, in his scientific work entitled “On the Revolution of the Celestial Spheres,” came to the conclusion that not the Earth, but the Sun should be in the center of the planetary system. Therefore, the Sun and the Moon were removed from the list, and the Earth was added to it. And after the advent of telescopes, Uranus and Neptune were added, in 1781 and 1846, respectively.
Pluto was considered the last discovered planet in the solar system from 1930 until recently.
And now, almost 400 years after Galileo Galilei created the world's first telescope for observing stars, astronomers have come to the next definition of a planet.
Planet- this is a celestial body that must satisfy four conditions:
the body must revolve around a star (for example, around the Sun);
the body must have sufficient gravity to be spherical or close to it;
the body should not have other large bodies near its orbit;
the body does not have to be a star.
In turn, the polar star is a cosmic body that emits light and is a powerful source of energy. This is explained, firstly, by the thermonuclear reactions occurring in it, and secondly, by the processes of gravitational compression, as a result of which a huge amount of energy is released.
Planets of the solar system today
solar system- This is a planetary system that consists of a central star - the Sun - and all natural space objects revolving around it.
So, today the solar system consists of of the eight planets: four inner, so-called terrestrial planets, and four outer planets, called gas giants.
The terrestrial planets include Earth, Mercury, Venus and Mars. All of them consist mainly of silicates and metals.
The outer planets are Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. The composition of gas giants consists mainly of hydrogen and helium.
The sizes of the planets in the solar system vary both within groups and between groups. So, the gas giants are much larger and more massive than the terrestrial planets.
Closest to the Sun is Mercury, then as far as the distance: Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.
It would be wrong to consider the characteristics of the planets of the solar system without paying attention to its main component: the Sun itself. Therefore, we will start with it. 
The sun planet is a star that gave rise to all life in the solar system. Planets, dwarf planets and their satellites, asteroids, comets, meteorites and cosmic dust revolve around it.
The Sun arose about 5 billion years ago, is a spherical, hot plasma ball and has a mass that is more than 300 thousand times the mass of the Earth. The surface temperature is over 5,000 degrees Kelvin, and the core temperature is over 13 million K.
The Sun is one of the largest and brightest stars in our galaxy, which is called the Milky Way galaxy. The Sun is located at a distance of about 26 thousand light years from the center of the Galaxy and makes a complete revolution around it in about 230-250 million years! For comparison, the Earth makes a complete revolution around the Sun in 1 year.
Mercury planet
Mercury is the smallest planet in the system and is closest to the Sun. Mercury has no satellites.
The surface of the planet is covered with craters that arose about 3.5 billion years ago as a result of massive bombardments by meteorites. The diameter of the craters can range from a few meters to more than 1000 km.
The atmosphere of Mercury is highly rarefied, consists mainly of helium and is blown by the solar wind. Since the planet is located very close to the Sun and does not have an atmosphere that would keep warm at night, the temperature on the surface ranges from -180 to +440 degrees Celsius.
By earthly standards, Mercury makes a complete revolution around the Sun in 88 days. On the other hand, a Mercury day is equal to 176 Earth days.
Venus planet
Venus is the second closest planet to the Sun in the solar system. Venus is only slightly smaller than Earth, which is why it is sometimes referred to as "Earth's sister". Has no satellites.
The atmosphere consists of carbon dioxide mixed with nitrogen and oxygen. The air pressure on the planet is more than 90 atmospheres, which is 35 times more than the earth.
Carbon dioxide and, as a result, the greenhouse effect, a dense atmosphere, as well as proximity to the Sun, allow Venus to carry the title of "hottest planet". The temperature on its surface can reach 460°C.
Venus is one of the brightest objects in the Earth's sky after the Sun and Moon.
Planet Earth 
Earth is the only known planet in the universe today that has life on it. The Earth has the largest size, mass and density among the so-called inner planets of the solar system.
The age of the Earth is about 4.5 billion years, and life appeared on the planet about 3.5 billion years ago. The Moon is a natural satellite, the largest of the satellites of the terrestrial planets.
The atmosphere of the Earth is fundamentally different from the atmospheres of other planets due to the presence of life. Most of the atmosphere is nitrogen, but it also contains oxygen, argon, carbon dioxide and water vapor. The ozone layer and the Earth's magnetic field, in turn, weaken the life-threatening effects of solar and cosmic radiation.
Due to the carbon dioxide contained in the atmosphere, the greenhouse effect also takes place on Earth. It does not appear as strongly as on Venus, but without it, the air temperature would be approximately 40 ° C lower. Without the atmosphere, temperature fluctuations would be very significant: according to scientists, from -100 ° C at night to + 160 ° C during the day.
About 71% of the Earth's surface is occupied by the oceans, the remaining 29% are continents and islands.
mars planet
Mars is the seventh largest planet in the solar system. The "Red Planet", as it is also called due to the presence of a large amount of iron oxide in the soil. Mars has two moons: Deimos and Phobos.
The atmosphere of Mars is highly rarefied, and the distance to the Sun is almost one and a half times greater than that of the Earth. Therefore, the average annual temperature on the planet is -60 ° C, and temperature drops in some places reach 40 degrees during the day.
Distinctive features of the surface of Mars are impact craters and volcanoes, valleys and deserts, ice polar caps like those on Earth. The highest mountain in the solar system is located on Mars: the extinct volcano Olympus, whose height is 27 km! As well as the largest canyon: the Marinera Valley, the depth of which reaches 11 km, and the length is 4500 km 
Jupiter planet
Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system. It is 318 times heavier than the Earth, and almost 2.5 times more massive than all the planets in our system combined. In its composition, Jupiter resembles the Sun - it consists mainly of helium and hydrogen - and radiates a huge amount of heat, equal to 4 * 1017 watts. However, in order to become a star like the Sun, Jupiter must be another 70-80 times heavier.
Jupiter has as many as 63 satellites, of which it makes sense to list only the largest ones - Callisto, Ganymede, Io and Europa. Ganymede is the largest moon in the solar system, larger than even Mercury.
Due to certain processes in the inner atmosphere of Jupiter, many vortex structures appear in its outer atmosphere, for example, stripes of clouds of brown-red shades, as well as the Great Red Spot, a giant storm known since the 17th century.
saturn planet
Saturn is the second largest planet in the solar system. The hallmark of Saturn is, of course, its ring system, which consists mainly of ice particles of various sizes (from tenths of a millimeter to several meters), as well as rocks and dust.
Saturn has 62 moons, the largest of which are Titan and Enceladus.
In its composition, Saturn resembles Jupiter, but in density it is inferior even to ordinary water.
The outer atmosphere of the planet looks calm and homogeneous, which is explained by a very dense layer of fog. However, the wind speed in some places can reach 1800 km/h.
Uranus planet
Uranus is the first planet to be discovered with a telescope, and also the only planet in the solar system that wraps around the sun, "lying on its side."
Uranus has 27 moons named after Shakespearean heroes. The largest of them are Oberon, Titania and Umbriel.
The composition of the planet differs from the gas giants in the presence of a large number of high-temperature modifications of ice. Therefore, along with Neptune, scientists have identified Uranus in the category of "ice giants". And if Venus has the title of "hottest planet" in the solar system, then Uranus is the coldest planet with a minimum temperature of about -224 ° C.
Neptune planet
Neptune is the most distant planet from the center of the solar system. The history of its discovery is interesting: before observing the planet through a telescope, scientists calculated its position in the sky using mathematical calculations. This happened after the discovery of inexplicable changes in the movement of Uranus in its own orbit.
To date, 13 satellites of Neptune are known to science. The largest of them - Triton - is the only satellite that moves in the opposite direction to the rotation of the planet. The fastest winds in the solar system also blow against the rotation of the planet: their speed reaches 2200 km/h.
The composition of Neptune is very similar to Uranus, therefore it is the second "ice giant". However, like Jupiter and Saturn, Neptune has an internal source of heat and radiates 2.5 times more energy than it receives from the Sun.
The planet's blue color comes from traces of methane in the outer atmosphere.
Conclusion
Pluto, unfortunately, did not have time to get into our parade of planets in the solar system. But it is absolutely not worth worrying about this, because all the planets remain in their places, despite changes in scientific views and concepts.
So, we answered the question of how many planets are there in the solar system. There are only 8 .
The science
Our solar system has a huge number of different space bodies, including 200 large satellites orbiting the main planets, dwarf planets and even around asteroids. Many of these satellites have curious features. In this article, you can get acquainted with the 10 most interesting satellites of our star system and learn about their features.
1) Nereid, satellite of Neptune
Nereid was discovered in 1949 Gerard Kuiper. It is the third largest moon of Neptune. It has the most eccentric orbit of any satellite in the solar system. Because of this, the distance between the planet and its satellite varies greatly. The satellite can fly up to Neptune as close as 1.4 million kilometers. The farthest he can retire to a distance of 9.6 million kilometers. To make one revolution around Neptune, given such a far distance from it, Nereid needs 360 Earth days.
2) Mimas, moon of Saturn
This small satellite was discovered in 1789 William Herschel. The average diameter of this object is about 400 kilometers. Mimas is notable for the fact that on its surface there is a giant Herschel crater with a diameter of about 130 kilometers and a depth of 10 kilometers. Herschel is not the largest crater in the solar system, but it is very unusual. The crater covers one-third of the surface of Mimas and makes it look like the Death Star Station from Star Wars.
3) Iapetus, satellite of Saturn
Discovered in 1671 Giovanni Cassini, Saturn's moon Iapetus has been recognized as one of the strangest moons in the solar system. The diameter of Iapetus averages 1460 kilometers. A distinctive feature of this satellite is that it has areas of different colors that reflect light in different ways. One half of the planet is black as coal, while the other half is exceptionally light and bright. Because of this, we can only observe a satellite when it appears on one side of the planet. Iapetus also has a mountain range - an equatorial mountain ring that reaches a height of about 10 kilometers and encircles the object along its equator. Scientists have put forward 2 hypotheses explaining the appearance of these mountains. According to one version, the ring was formed at the beginning of the existence of the satellite, when Iapetus rotated much faster than now. Other scientists believe that the mountain range was formed from the material of another satellite, which belonged to Iapetus itself, but crashed, and its fragments settled on the equator of Iapetus.
4) Dactyl, satellite of the asteroid Ida
Discovered in 1995 by spacecraft Galileo, the satellite of the asteroid Ida - Dactyl - is about a kilometer in diameter. This satellite is notable for being the first discovered satellite orbiting an asteroid. Scientists still cannot say exactly about the origin of this satellite and do not know whether it is part of a native asteroid, or was once captured by this asteroid. Dactyl proves the existence of moons around asteroids. After that, scientists noticed two dozen more similar satellites around various other asteroids in the solar system.
5) Europa, satellite of Jupiter
Europa has been discovered Galileo Galilei in January 1610. It is quite a bit smaller than our moon. Europa's surface is striking, carved with dark intersecting lines. Scientists suggest that the lines represent cracks and breaks in the ice shell of Europa. Perhaps the cracks were formed due to the influence of Jupiter and other satellites orbiting the planet. Beneath the thick layer of ice on Europa may be an ocean of liquid salt water, which is what makes the satellite special. Unlike the Earth, it is believed that Europa has a very deep ocean, so it covers the entire satellite completely. Since Europa is located quite far from the Sun, its ocean has frozen, forming a crust about 100 kilometers thick. Perhaps because of the internal higher temperature, the water under the ice crust can remain liquid.
6) Enceladus, moon of Saturn
Enceladus is the sixth largest moon of Saturn. It is not the largest, but it has a number of interesting features. Enceladus discovered in 1789 William Herschel. It is the brightest cosmic body in the solar system and reflects 100 percent of sunlight from its surface. This fact makes it one of the coldest places, the temperature on the surface of the satellite is about minus 200 degrees Celsius. As you can see in the image, there are some impact craters on this satellite, but there are also fairly smooth areas that indicate that the surface of the satellite flattened out in the geologically recent past. There are large dark faults at the moon's south pole, which also indicate recent geological activity. These fractures release tons of material that makes up Saturn's E ring.
7) Io, satellite of Jupiter
Io was discovered in January 1610 by the same Galileo Galilei. It is slightly larger than our moon. Io is the most volcanically active place in the solar system. The satellite is covered with many volcanoes, which release jets of substances at a distance of about 300 kilometers above the surface. Normally, an object of this size should have stopped volcanic activity a very long time ago, but due to Io's orbital resonances with Jupiter, Europa, and Ganymede, tidal heating occurs in the bowels of the satellite. If we omit the details, we can say that the increased volcanic activity of the satellite is associated with nearby cosmic bodies and the composition of its internal characteristics. Tidal heating causes most of the material underlying the surface to remain in a liquid state, which constantly changes the surface of the satellite.
8) Titan, satellite of Saturn
Titan is the only satellite besides our Moon on whose surface a spacecraft has landed. It was opened in 1655 Christian Huygens. Titan is the second largest moon in the solar system. It is covered by a dense hazy atmosphere composed mainly of methane, nitrogen and ethane. This satellite is known for having an atmosphere similar to that of a planet. It is also the only place in the solar system where scientists have proven that there is liquid on the surface, although this liquid is far from water, but methane.
9) Triton, satellite of Neptune
Triton was discovered in October 1846 by the astronomer William Lassell, 17 days after the discovery of Neptune itself. It is the largest of the moons of the planet Neptune. Triton has the distinction of being the only major moon in the solar system that orbits the planet in the opposite direction to the planet's own rotation. This suggests that Triton is a satellite captured by Neptune, because all natural satellites in the solar system rotate in the same direction as their planets. The only thing that scientists cannot yet come to a consensus about how Neptune captured such a large body into its orbit. Triton is one of the coldest places in the solar system. When Voyager 2 flew past it in 1989, he found that Triton's temperature is minus 235 degrees Celsius, that is, it is close to absolute zero. Voyager 2 also helped detect active geysers on Triton, which is why Triton is considered one of the few geologically active satellites in the solar system.
10) Ganymede, satellite of Jupiter
Discovered in 1610 Galileo Galilei, Ganymede is the largest moon in the solar system. It is larger than the planet Mercury and is about three times the size of Mars. It is so large that it could be considered a planet if it did not revolve around Jupiter, but around the Sun. A notable feature of this satellite is that it is the only satellite in our system that has its own magnetic field. It has a molten iron core, thanks to which a magnetic field arises. In 1996 the space telescope Hubble discovered a thin layer of oxygen around the satellite, but it is so thin that it cannot support life.
Natural satellites are relatively small cosmic bodies that revolve around larger "host" planets. In part, a whole science is devoted to them - planetology.
In the 70s, astronomers assumed that Mercury had several celestial bodies dependent on it, as they caught ultraviolet radiation around it. Later it turned out that the light belonged to a distant star.
Modern equipment makes it possible to study the planet closest to the Sun in more detail. Today, all planetary scientists unanimously repeat that it has no satellites.
Moons of the planet Venus
Venus is called similar to the Earth, since they have the same compositions. But if we talk about natural space objects, then the planet named after the goddess of love is close to Mercury. These two planets of the solar system are unique in that they are completely alone.
Astrologers believe that Venus could have previously observed such, but to date, not a single one has been found.
How many natural satellites does the earth have?
Our native Earth has many satellites, but only one natural one, which every person knows from infancy, is the Moon.
The size of the Moon exceeds a quarter of the diameter of the Earth and is 3475 km. It is the only celestial body with such large dimensions relative to the "owner".
Surprisingly, its mass is small at the same time - 7.35 × 10²²² kg, which indicates a low density. Multiple craters on the surface are visible from Earth even without any special devices.
What are the moons of Mars?
Mars is a rather small planet, which is sometimes called red because of its scarlet hue. It is given by iron oxide, which is part of it. Today, Mars boasts two natural celestial objects.
Both moons, Deimos and Phobos, were discovered by Asaph Hall in 1877. They are the smallest and darkest objects in our comic system.
Deimos is translated as the ancient Greek god, sowing panic and horror. Based on observations, it is gradually moving away from Mars. Phobos, named after the god who brings fear and chaos, is the only satellite that is so close to the "owner" (at a distance of 6000 km).
The surfaces of Phobos and Deimos are abundantly covered with craters, dust and various loose rocks.
Moons of Jupiter
To date, the giant Jupiter has 67 satellites - more than any other planet. The largest of them are considered the achievement of Galileo Galilei, since they were discovered by him in 1610.
Among the celestial bodies orbiting Jupiter, it is worth noting:
- Adrastea, with a diameter of 250 × 147 × 129 km and a mass of ~3.7 × 1016 kg;
- Metis - dimensions 60 × 40 × 35 km, weight ~ 2 1015 kg;
- Thebe, which has a scale of 116×99×85 and a mass of ~4.4×1017 kg;
- Amalteyu - 250 × 148 × 127 km, 2 1018 kg;
- Io with a weight of 9 1022 kg at 3660×3639×3630 km;
- Ganymede, which, with a mass of 1.5 1023 kg, had a diameter of 5263 km;
- Europe, occupying 3120 km and weighing 5 1022 kg;
- Callisto, with a diameter of 4820 km having a mass of 1 1023 kg.
The first satellites were discovered in 1610, some from the 70s to the 90s, then in 2000, 2002, 2003. The last of them were discovered in 2012.
Saturn and its moons
Found 62 satellites, of which 53 have names. Most of them are composed of ice and rock, with a reflective feature.
The largest space objects of Saturn:
How many moons does Uranus have?
At the moment, Uranus has 27 natural celestial bodies. They are named after characters from famous works written by Alexander Pope and William Shakespeare.
Names and list by quantity with description:
Moons of Neptune
The planet, whose name is consonant with the name of the great god of the seas, was discovered in 1846. She was the first to be found through mathematical calculations, and not through observation. Gradually, new satellites were discovered in her, until 14 were counted.
List
Neptune's moons are named after nymphs and various sea deities from Greek mythology.
The beautiful Nereid was discovered in 1949 by Gerard Kuiper. Proteus is a non-spherical cosmic body and is studied in detail by planetary scientists.
Giant Triton is the iciest object in the solar system with a temperature of -240°C, and also the only satellite that rotates around itself in the opposite direction to the rotation of the "master".
Almost all satellites of Neptune have craters on the surface, volcanoes - both fiery and ice. They spew mixtures of methane, dust, liquid nitrogen and other substances from their depths. Therefore, a person will not be able to be on them without special protection.
What are the "satellites of the planets" and how many of them are there in the solar system?
Satellites are cosmic bodies that are smaller in size than the "host" planets and orbit the latter. The question of the origin of satellites is still open and is one of the key questions in modern planetary science.
To date, 179 natural space objects are known, which are distributed as follows:
- Venus and Mercury - 0;
- Earth - 1;
- Mars - 2;
- Pluto - 5;
- Neptune - 14;
- Uranus - 27;
- Saturn - 63;
- Jupiter - 67.
Technologies are improving every year, finding more celestial bodies. It is possible that new satellites will be discovered soon. We can only wait, constantly checking the news.
The largest satellite in the solar system
The largest moon in our solar system is Ganymede, a moon of the giant Jupiter. Its diameter, according to scientists, is 5263 km. The next largest is Titan with a size of 5150 km - the "moon" of Saturn. Closes the top three Callisto - Ganymede's "neighbor", with whom they share one "owner". Its scale is 4800 km.
Why do planets need satellites?
Planetologists at all times asked themselves the question "Why do we need satellites?" or “What effect do they have on the planets?” Based on observations and calculations, some conclusions can be drawn.
Natural satellites play an important role for the hosts. They create a certain climate on the planet. No less important is the fact that they serve as protection against asteroids, comets, and other dangerous celestial bodies.
Despite such a significant impact, satellites are still not mandatory for the planet. Even without their presence, life can be formed and maintained on it. This conclusion was made by American scientist Jack Lissauer from the NASA Science Space Center.