Galilean Moons: Ganymede Moon
By: Donovan Phan
Characteristics of Ganymede
Ganymede has a core of metallic iron,next is a layer of rock then is the crust of mostly ice that is very thick. There are also many bumps on Ganymede's surface, which might be rock formations.Ganymede’s surface is made up of primarily two types of terrains, about 40 percent is dark with numerous craters and 60 percent is lighter in color.
Ganymede: Jupiter's Largest Moon | Video
Ganymede Atmosphere
Ganymede has a thin oxygen atmosphere, it is too thin to support life. It is the only satellite to have a magnetosphere. Mostly found in planets, including Earth and Jupiter, a magnetosphere is a comet-shaped region in which charged particles are trapped or deflected. Ganymede’s magnetosphere is entirely embedded within the magnetosphere of Jupiter.
Jupiter's Moon: Ganymede Rotation
Discovery of Ganymede
Galileo Galilei discovered Ganymede on January 7,1610. The first time a moon was discovered orbiting a planet other than Earth, along with three other Jovian Moons he discovered.Galileo’s discovery eventually made him understanding that planets orbit the sun, instead of our solar system revolving around Earth.
How did Ganymede get's it name?
Galileo called Ganymede Jupiter III. When numerical naming system was abandoned in the mid-1800s, the moon was named after Ganymede, a Trojan prince in Greek mythology. Zeus carried Ganymede, who had taken the form of an eagle, to Olympus, where he became a cupbearer to the Olympian gods and one of Zeus’ lovers.
Exploring Ganymede
The first spacecraft to fly by is Pioneer 10 in 1973, followed by Pioneer 11 in 1974. The Galileo spacecraft passed as low as 162 miles (261 km) over the surfaces of the Galilean moons and produced detailed images. Voyager 1 and 2 returned striking photos during their flybys.
Jupiter's Moon Ganymede
Size Facts
Ganymede is the largest moon in the solar system. It is bigger than Mercury. The diameter of Ganymede is 5,268 km (3270 mi). Ganymede is the largest Satellite.
Fun Facts
- Same side always faces Jupiter
- There are under-ground oceans
- Daytime temperatures on the surface average around
-113C to -183C (-171F to -297F).
Jupiter's Moon Ganymede