Ganymede is the largest satellite in the solar system.Jupiter’s seventh satellite is Ganymede. It is also the third of the Galilean moons.There are more than 53 named moons of Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system. Ganymede revolves around Jupiter and is considered to be larger in size than Mercury. On January 7, 1610, Ganymede was discovered by Galileo Galilei. Along with this satellite, there are three other Jovian moons, or Galilean satellites, named Europa, Io, and Callisto. Of all the planets in the solar system, Ganymede has the highest mass and is about 8% larger than Mercury. It covers a diameter of about 3273 mi (5268 km). It is the only Jovian moon in the solar system that has its own magnetic field. However, Ganymede’s magnetic field is extremely small and goes unnoticed due to the large magnetic field of Jupiter. Ganymede has an icy crust and a liquid metallic core made of iron sulfide. The Hubble space telescope of NASA recently provided evidence of a subsurface ocean on Ganymede. The stretch of this ocean is thought to be about 10 times deeper than all the oceans on Earth and is buried under the ice surface at about 95 mi (150 km) depth. This discovery of a salty ocean under the icy surface with a thickness of about 60 mi (100 km) gives a hint of sustainable life beyond Earth. The terrain of Ganymede comprises the dark regions and the lighter regions of ridges. Ganymede completes one revolution around Jupiter in about seven Earth days. Keep reading to learn more intriguing facts about Ganymede.If you like what you read, then don’t forget to check out Brooklyn bridge New York and the Gettysburg facts, here on Kidadl.Ganymede Compared To EarthAmong the four Galilean satellites, which are Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto, the largest moon is Ganymede, which is also Jupiter’s largest moon. It has a diameter that is 0.41 times the diameter of the Earth.Ganymede is about 628.3 million km away from the Earth. It has a gravitational force that is compared to that of the Earth. Ganymede and the other Jupiter’s moons are all tidally locked, which means that they always face Jupiter on the same side. Just like Earth’s moon, Ganymede also developed from the remaining parts of Jupiter after it condensed out. It’s about 4.5 billion years old, which is the same age as the Earth and all the other planets in our solar system. Also, Ganymede possesses three distinct layers, just like the Earth. The crust is mostly ice with a rocky mantle and a liquid core of metallic iron. Ganymede orbits Jupiter in an elliptical path, following an orbital resonance with the other Galilean moons, except for Callisto, which is way too far from Jupiter. This means that Europa’s orbital period is about twice that of Ganymede. Io orbits at four times the orbital period of Ganymede. The presence of the highly cratered dark regions, which cover about 40% of Ganymede’s surface, highlights the fact that it was hit by several large asteroids or comets about four billion years ago. The bright terrain on its surface is more recent and is thought to have formed because of the internal tectonic activities that disrupted its icy crust.How far is Ganymede from Jupiter?Jupiter’s moon Ganymede is present at a distance of about 665,000 mi (1,070,000 km) from Jupiter.A major discovery was made by the Galileo spacecraft about the presence of Ganymede’s own magnetosphere. Static sounds were also captured by the Galileo spacecraft. This magnetic field is thought to have been created due to the convection currents from its liquid iron core. However, this magnetic field is very small due to Jupiter’s magnetic field, which is extremely large. In fact, the discovery of Ganymede led to the development of the concept that the Earth and all other planets revolved around the Sun and that Ganymede was the first moon discovered orbiting a planet other than Earth.Ganymede Size, and Who Discovered GanymedeThe original discovery of Ganymede was made by the German astronomer, Simon Marius. However, it was not documented at that time, and hence the credit goes to the Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei, who made the discovery of Ganymede in 1610.The name, Ganymede, was given after a Trojan prince of Greek mythology. The German astronomer, Johannes Kepler, also suggested the naming of this satellite. In the story, Zeus, equivalent to Jupiter in Roman mythology, brought the prince named Ganymede to the abode of the Greek Gods in Olympus. There the prince was made the cupbearer of the Olympian gods.Ganymede has a radius of about 1,635 mi (2,631 km) and is considered to be bigger than Mercury and Pluto.Ganymede Temperature and Can Humans Live on ItThe temperature on Ganymede’s surface is extremely cold, with an average range of 297-(-171) F (90-160 K) during the daytime.Jupiter and all Galilean moons receive less than 1/30 of the sunlight that the Earth receives. Moreover, Ganymede is devoid of any densely particulate atmosphere that is able to trap heat, as is seen on Earth.The Voyager spacecraft found evidence of saltwater under its crust at a depth of about 95 mi (150 km), which is a sign of sustainable life on this satellite. Also, the researchers have put forth the theory of tidal heating regarding the three distinct layers of Ganymede, the crust, mantle, and core. Tidal heating results due to the differential gravitational forces between Jupiter and its moons. The conditions on Ganymede are not at all suitable for humans to live. The extremely freezing temperatures, which vary throughout the day, and the radiation from Jupiter make it impossible for anybody to survive on Ganymede. Although it is the only moon to possess a thin oxygen atmosphere, humans cannot survive on it due to oxygen deficiency.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for around which planet does ganymede orbit? then why not take a look at are alkali metals found in nature to learn curious chemical elements facts, or are bananas clones.
Ganymede is the largest satellite in the solar system.
