There are over 100 mountains, some taller than Mount Everest. Io is the innermost Galilean moon with the highest density of all the moons and over 400 active volcanoes (producing sulfur and sulfur dioxide) resulting from tidal heating from within its interior. The eccentricity is between 0.0072 and 0.0076 and inclination of 0.20°–0.60° that causes the axial tilt to vary between 0.4° and 1.6°. Evidence shows that Callisto orbits at a distance of approximately 1,168,178 miles and has an orbital period of 16.7 Earth days. Other characteristics include a thin atmosphere of carbon dioxide and low radiation levels leaving speculations of possibilities that the moon can support some form of life. Investigations also reveal a possible underground ocean of liquid water and surface features like ring structures and craters of different shapes. This planet has fairly equal rock and ice composition with confirmed compounds like water ice, carbon dioxide, silicates, and organic compounds. Callisto is tidally locked during rotation meaning that it orbits Jupiter with the same hemisphere facing inwards making Jupiter seemingly stands still in Callisto's sky. This Galilean moon has a diameter of 2,996 miles and an orbital radius of about 1,170,042 miles. This radiation may be due to the influence of the Jovian heat flux, sunlight reflected from Jupiter, and bombardment of charged particles.Ĭallisto is the second-largest moon of Jupiter and third-largest moon in the Solar system. Amalthea’s surface measures between 33976.98 and 65,637 square miles and radiating more than it receives from the sun. Observations also show that the leading hemisphere appears to be 1.3 times brighter than the trailing hemisphere probably due to the high velocity and friction. Photographs show Amalthea to be red in color in what may be sulfur originating from the nearby moon, Io. Discovered in 1892, this planet orbits Jupiter at a distance of 2.54 Jupiter radii, an eccentricity of 0.003, and an inclination of 0.37° relative to Jupiter’s equator. Observers believe that this moon consists of porous water ice below the large craters and ridges making up its surface. Amalthea (Jupiter V)Īmalthea is the number three moon by distance from the planet and the largest of the inner satellites. This article analyses some of the well-researched moons orbiting around Jupiter. However, some of Jupiter’s moons have only been observed few times because of their unknown orbits. Since their discoveries, scientists have been able to conduct in-depth analysis on some of Jupiter’s moons than of any other solar system moons excluding the earth’s. On the other hand, there are two sub-groups of irregular satellites namely prograde and retrograde. NASA observes that main group (Galilean Moons) consists of some of the largest bodies in the solar system besides the sun and planets. The inner satellites (the Amalthea Group) orbit nearest to Jupiter and are responsible for replenishing and maintaining Jupiter’s ring system. There are two sub-groups of regular satellites – inner satellites and main satellites. The regular satellites have almost circular orbits and are prograde while irregular satellites are smaller with eccentric orbits. Researchers have grouped the moons into two broad categories namely regular satellites and irregular satellites. Jupiter has 79 known moons, the largest number of moons for a planet in the solar system, that vary in size and characteristics.
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