Which planet has the most satellites? Which dwarf planet has the most satellites?

Satellites and planets of the solar system

The natural satellites of planets play a huge role in the life of these space objects. Moreover, even we humans are capable of feeling the influence of our planet’s only natural satellite – the Moon.

The natural satellites of the planets of the solar system have aroused keen interest among astronomers since ancient times. To this day, scientists are studying them. What are these space objects?

Natural satellites of planets are cosmic bodies of natural origin that orbit around planets. The most interesting for us are the natural satellites of the planets of the solar system, since they are in close proximity to us.

There are only two planets in the solar system that do not have natural satellites. These are Venus and Mercury. Although it is assumed that Mercury previously had natural satellites, this planet lost them in the process of its evolution. As for the rest of the planets in the solar system, each of them has at least one natural satellite. The most famous of them is the Moon, which is our planet’s faithful cosmic companion. Mars has, Jupiter -, Saturn -, Uranus -, Neptune -. Among these satellites we can find both very unremarkable objects, consisting mainly of stone, and very interesting specimens that deserve special attention, and which we will discuss below.

Classification of satellites

Scientists divide planetary satellites into two types: satellites of artificial origin and natural ones. Satellites of artificial origin or, as they are also called, artificial satellites are spacecraft created by people that make it possible to observe the planet around which they orbit, as well as other astronomical objects from space. Typically, artificial satellites are used to monitor the weather, radio broadcasts, changes in the topography of the planet's surface, and also for military purposes.

The ISS is the largest artificial satellite of the Earth

It should be noted that not only the Earth has satellites of artificial origin, as many people believe. More than a dozen artificial satellites created by mankind revolve around the two closest planets to us - Venus and Mars. They allow you to monitor climate conditions, changes in terrain, and also receive other relevant information regarding our space neighbors.

Ganymede is the largest moon in the solar system

The second category of satellites - natural satellites of planets - is of great interest to us in this article. Natural satellites differ from artificial ones in that they were created not by man, but by nature itself. It is believed that most of the satellites of the solar system are asteroids that were captured by the gravitational forces of the planets of this system. Subsequently, the asteroids took on a spherical shape and, as a result, began to revolve around the planet that captured them as a constant companion. There is also a theory that says that the natural satellites of planets are fragments of these planets themselves, which for one reason or another broke away from the planet itself during the process of its formation. By the way, according to this theory, this is how the Earth’s natural satellite, the Moon, came into being. This theory is confirmed by chemical analysis of the composition of the Moon. He showed that the chemical composition of the satellite is practically no different from the chemical composition of our planet, where the same chemical compounds are present as on the Moon.

Interesting facts about the most interesting satellites

One of the most interesting natural satellites of the planets of the solar system is the natural satellite. Charon, in comparison with Pluto, is so huge that many astronomers call these two space objects nothing more than a double dwarf planet. The planet Pluto is only twice the size of its natural satellite.

The natural satellite is of keen interest to astronomers. Most of the natural satellites of the solar system's planets are composed primarily of ice, rock, or both, resulting in them lacking an atmosphere. However, Titan has this, and quite dense one, as well as lakes of liquid hydrocarbons.

Another natural satellite that gives scientists hope for discovering extraterrestrial life forms is Jupiter’s satellite. It is believed that under the thick layer of ice that covers the satellite there is an ocean, inside of which there are thermal springs - exactly the same as on Earth. Since some deep-sea life forms on Earth exist thanks to these sources, it is believed that similar life forms may exist on Titan.

The planet Jupiter has another interesting natural satellite -. Io is the only satellite of a planet in the solar system on which astrophysicists first discovered active volcanoes. It is for this reason that it is of particular interest to space researchers.

Natural satellite research

Research on the natural satellites of the planets of the Solar System has interested the minds of astronomers since ancient times. Since the invention of the first telescope, people have been actively studying these celestial objects. The breakthrough in the development of civilization made it possible not only to discover a colossal number of satellites of various planets of the solar system, but also to set man on the main, closest to us, satellite of the Earth - the Moon. On July 21, 1969, American astronaut Neil Armstrong, together with the crew of the Apollo 11 spacecraft, first set foot on the surface of the Moon, which caused rejoicing in the hearts of humanity at that time and is still considered one of the most important and significant events in space exploration.

In addition to the Moon, scientists are actively studying other natural satellites of the planets of the solar system. To do this, astronomers use not only visual and radar observation methods, but also use modern spacecraft, as well as artificial satellites. For example, the “” spacecraft for the first time transmitted to Earth images of several of Jupiter’s largest satellites:,. In particular, it was thanks to these images that scientists were able to record the presence of volcanoes on the moon Io, and the ocean on Europa.

Today, the global community of space researchers continues to be actively engaged in the study of the natural satellites of the planets of the solar system. In addition to various government programs, there are also private projects aimed at studying these space objects. In particular, the world-famous American company Google is currently developing a tourist lunar rover, on which many people could take a walk on the Moon.

A satellite is a dense natural object that orbits a planet. No specific scientific explanation provides a satisfactory answer to the question of how moons came to be, although several theories exist. The Moon was considered the only satellite, but after the invention of the telescope, satellites of others were discovered. Each planet has one or more satellites, except Mercury and Venus. Jupiter has the largest number of satellites - 67. Technological advances have allowed man to discover and even send spacecraft on expeditions to other planets and their satellites.

The largest moons in our solar system are:

Ganymede

Ganymede is the largest moon in our system, orbiting Jupiter. Its diameter is 5,262 km. The moon is larger than Mercury and Pluto, and could easily be called a planet if it were orbiting the Sun. Ganymede has its own magnetic field. Its discovery was made by the Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei on January 7, 1610. The satellite's orbit is about 1,070,400 km from Jupiter and it takes 7.1 Earth days to complete its orbit. The surface of Ganymede has two main types of landscapes. It has lighter and younger regions, as well as a darker crater area. The satellite's atmosphere is thin and contains oxygen in dispersed molecules. Ganymede is primarily composed of water ice and rock, and is believed to have underground oceans. The name of the satellite comes from the name of a prince in ancient Greek mythology.

Titanium

Titan is a satellite of Saturn with a diameter of 5,150 km, making it the second largest moon in the Solar System. It was discovered by the Dutch astronomer Christiaan Huygens in 1655. The satellite has a dense atmosphere similar to that of Earth. 90% of the atmosphere consists of nitrogen, and the remaining 10% consists of methane, small amounts of ammonia, argon and ethane. Titan makes a complete revolution around Saturn in 16 days. On the surface of the satellite there are seas and lakes filled with liquid hydrocarbons. This is the only cosmic body in the solar system, besides the Earth, that has water bodies. The name of the satellite is taken from ancient Greek mythology, in honor of the ancient gods called the Titans. Ice and rock make up the bulk of Titan's mass.

Callisto

Callisto is the second largest satellite of Jupiter and the third largest satellite in the Solar System. It has a diameter of 4821 km and is estimated by scientists to be about 4.5 billion years old; its surface is mostly dotted with craters. Callisto was discovered by Galileo Galilei on January 7, 1610. The satellite received its name in honor of a nymph from ancient Greek mythology. Callisto orbits Jupiter at a distance of about 1,882,700 km, and completes its orbit in 16.7 Earth days. It is the most distant moon from Jupiter, meaning it was not significantly exposed to the planet's powerful magnetosphere. Water ice, as well as other materials such as magnesium and hydrated silicates, make up most of the moon's mass. Callisto has a dark surface and is thought to have a salt sea underneath.

And about

Io is the third largest moon of Jupiter and the fourth in the Solar System. Its diameter is 3,643 km. The satellite was first discovered by Galileo Galilei in 1610. This is the most volcanically active cosmic body along with the Earth. Its surface mainly consists of floodplains of liquid rocks and lava lakes. Io is located approximately 422,000 km from Jupiter, and orbits the planet in 1.77 Earth days. The satellite has a mottled appearance with dominant colors of white, red, yellow, black and orange. Io's atmosphere is dominated by sulfur dioxide. The moon was named after a nymph from ancient Greek mythology who was seduced by Zeus. Beneath Io's surface is an iron core and an outer layer of silicates.

Other large satellites

Other large satellites of the Solar System include: the Moon (3,475 km), Earth; Europa (3,122 km), Jupiter; Triton (2,707 km), Neptune; Titania (1,578 km), Uranus; Rhea (1,529 km), Saturn and Oberon (1,523 km), Uranus. Most observations of these satellites are made from Earth. Advances in technology make it possible for scientists to send spacecraft to different parts of the solar system to obtain more information about the planets and their satellites.

Table: TOP 10 largest satellites in the solar system

Place in the ranking	Satellite, Planet	Average diameter
1	Ganymede, Jupiter	5,262 km
2	Titan, Saturn	5,150 km
3	Callisto, Jupiter	4,821 km
4	Io, Jupiter	3,643 km
5	Moon, Earth	3,475 km
6	Europe, Jupiter	3,122 km
7	Triton, Neptune	2,707 km
8	Titania, Uranus	1,578 km
9	Rhea, Saturn	1,529 km
10	Oberon, Uranus	1,523 km

Natural satellites are relatively small cosmic bodies that orbit larger “host” planets. In part, an entire science is dedicated to them - planetology.

In the 70s, astronomers assumed that Mercury had several celestial bodies dependent on it, as they detected ultraviolet radiation around it. It later turned out that the light belonged to a distant star.

Modern equipment allows us to study the planet closest to the Sun in more detail. Today, all planetary scientists in unison insist that it has no satellites.

Moons of the planet Venus

Venus is called Earth-like because they have similar 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 in the solar system are unique in that they are completely alone.

Astrologers believe that Venus could have previously seen these, but to date not a single one has been discovered.

How many natural satellites does the Earth have?

Our native Earth has many satellites, but only one natural one, which every person knows about from infancy - this is the Moon.

The size of the Moon is more than 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 “host”.

Surprisingly, its mass is small - 7.35 × 10²² kg, which indicates low density. Multiple craters on the surface are visible from Earth even without any special devices.

What moons does Mars have?

Mars is a fairly small planet that is sometimes called red because of its scarlet hue. It is given by iron oxide, which is part of its composition. 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 who spreads panic and terror. Based on observations, it is gradually moving away from Mars. Phobos, bearing the name of the god who brings fear and chaos, is the only satellite that is so close to the “master” (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

Today, the giant Jupiter has 67 satellites - more than other planets. The largest of them are considered the achievement of Galileo Galilei, as they were discovered by him in 1610.

Among the celestial bodies orbiting Jupiter, it is worth noting:

• Adrasteus, 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, with a scale of 116×99×85 and a mass of ~4.4×1017 kg;
• Amalthea - 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 and 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

62 satellites have been found, of which 53 have names. Most of them consist of ice and rocks, characterized by 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 authored by Alexander Pope and William Shakespeare.

Names and list by quantity with description:

Moons of Neptune

The planet, whose name is similar to the name of the great god of the seas, was discovered in 1846. She was the first to be found using mathematical calculations, and not through observations. Gradually, new satellites were discovered until they counted 14.

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 is also the only satellite that rotates around itself in the direction opposite to the rotation of the “master”.

Almost all of Neptune's satellites have craters and volcanoes on their surface - both fire and ice. They spew from their depths mixtures of methane, dust, liquid nitrogen and other substances. Therefore, a person will not be able to stay on them without special protection.

What are “planetary satellites” and how many are there in the solar system?

Satellites are cosmic bodies that are smaller in size than the “host” planets and rotate in the orbits of the latter. The question of the origin of satellites is still open and is one of the key ones in modern planetology.

Today, 179 natural space objects are known, which are distributed as follows:

• Venus and Mercury – 0;
• Earth – 1;
• Mars – 2;
• Pluto – 5;
• Neptune – 14;
• Uranium – 27;
• Saturn – 63;
• Jupiter - 67.

Technology improves every year, finding more celestial bodies. Perhaps new satellites will be discovered soon. We can only wait, constantly checking the news.

The largest satellite in the solar system

Ganymede, a satellite of the giant Jupiter, is considered the largest in our solar system. Its diameter, according to scientists, is 5263 km. The next largest is Titan with a size of 5150 km - the “moon” of Saturn. The top three is closed by Callisto, the “neighbor” of Ganymede, with whom they share one “master”. Its scale is 4800 km.

Why do planets need satellites?

Planetologists have always asked the question “Why are satellites needed?” 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 necessary for the planet. Even without their presence, life can form and sustain on it. This conclusion was reached by the American scientist Jack Lissauer from the NASA Space Science Center.

Satellites are small bodies that orbit planets. In the solar system, two planets (Mercury and Venus) have no satellites, the Earth has one, and Mars has two. A large number of satellites are attracted by the magnetic field of Neptune (13 satellites), Uranus (27 satellites), Saturn (60 satellites). But Jupiter has the largest number of satellites. There are 63 of them! Now you know which planet has more satellites in the solar system.

In addition to such a huge number of satellites, Jupiter also has a system of rings. The first 4 satellites of Jupiter, the largest, were discovered by Galileo at the beginning of the 17th century. He gave them the names Europa, Ganymede, Io, Callisto (names of mythical heroes). With the development of telescopic technology, the remaining satellites began to be discovered; in the 70s of the last century, 13 of them were discovered. At the beginning of the third millennium, 47 more satellites of Jupiter were discovered. They are quite small, their radius reaches 4 km. Who knows how many more satellites of planets will be discovered over time, when the scientific and technological progress of mankind...

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Which planet has the most satellites?

The planet Jupiter has the largest number of satellites among the planets of the Solar System - as many as 63. In addition to them, this planet also boasts a system of rings. The first 4 satellites were discovered back in the Middle Ages in the 17th century using a telescope, and the last (most of them) were discovered at the end of the 20th century using spacecraft. The size of most of them is not too large - only 2 to 4 kilometers in diameter. Saturn has slightly fewer satellites - 60. But one of its satellites, Titan, is the second largest in the Solar System and has a diameter of 5100 km.

The third largest number of satellites is Uranus. He has 27 of them. And planets such as Venus and Mercury have no satellites at all. 5-11-2010

Have you read the answer to the question Which planet has the most satellites? and if you liked the material, bookmark it - “Which planet has the most satellites?? . Which car is best for taxi work? This is controversial...

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At Jupiter...

Mercury has no satellites.

Venus also has no satellites

The Earth has one satellite: the Moon
The Moon is the only natural satellite of the Earth. It is the second brightest object in the earth's sky after the Sun and the fifth largest natural satellite in the solar system. It is also the first (and as of 2009, the only) extraterrestrial object of natural origin visited by humans. The average distance between the centers of the Earth and the Moon is 384,467 km.

The planet Mars has two satellites: Phobos (Greek - fear) and Deimos (Greek - horror).
Both satellites rotate around their axes with the same period as around Mars, therefore they are always turned to the planet with the same side. The tidal influence of Mars gradually slows down the movement of Phobos, and will eventually lead to the fall of the satellite onto Mars. On the contrary, Deimos is moving away from Mars.

Jupiter has 63 moons
The moons of Jupiter are the natural satellites of the planet Jupiter. To date, scientists know 63...

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The central star of our system, around which all the planets pass in different orbits, is called the Sun. Its age is about 5 billion years. It is a yellow dwarf, so the size of the star is small. Its thermonuclear reactions are not consumed very quickly. The solar system has reached approximately the halfway point of its life cycle. After 5 billion years, the balance of gravitational forces will be disrupted, the star will increase in size and gradually warm up. Nuclear fusion converts all of the sun's hydrogen into helium. At this point, the size of the star will be three times larger. Ultimately, the star will cool down and shrink. Today the Sun consists almost entirely of hydrogen (90%) and some helium (10%).

Today, the satellites of the Sun are 8 planets, around which other celestial bodies revolve, several dozen comets, as well as a huge number of asteroids. All these objects move in their orbit. If you add up the mass of all the solar satellites, it turns out that they are 1000 times lighter than their star....

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