We call our moon “the moon” because it’s the only moon that earth has. But some of the other planets have moons too. And all of the planets that do have moons have more than one!
Mars and Neptune each have two moons, Uranus has five moons, and Saturn has ten. Jupiter, the largest planet, has 14 moons, the last one was discovered as recently as 1975.
Mercury and Venus have no moons. But astronomers think that Pluto, the farthest planet from the sun, might have a single moon. So far, the earth is the only planet known to have just one moon.
One of Jupiter’s moons, called Ganymede, is the largest moon in the solar system. It’s about 3,275 miles across, which makes this moon bigger than Mercury, a planet!
The smallest moon in the solar system, Mars’s Deimos, is only about eight miles across, a distance you could walk in half a day!
Related Posts
-
Why Do the Phases of the Moon Take Longer Than One Moon Orbit and How Often Does the Moon Orbit the Earth?
For the phases to begin over again, the Moon, Earth, and Sun all have to line up in a row, whether you start a phase at a new moon or a full moon.…
-
How Does the Moon Affect Life On Earth and How Does the Moon Cause Tides On Earth With Its Gravitational Pull?
The Moon's gravity creates tides here on Earth. As Earth rotates on its axis, different parts of the world face the Moon. The waters in those areas are attracted to the Moon because…
-
What Would Happen To Planet Earth If the Moon Disappeared and How Would Life On Earth Be Affected?
If the moon suddenly disappeared, it would unleash a devastating chain of events that would ultimately spell the end for life on Earth. The most immediate difference would be the disappearance of the…
-
What Is the Closest Moon To the Planet Uranus, Who Discovered Miranda, and Who Is the Moon Miranda Named After?
Miranda, the closest of Uranus's large moons, has a varied surface of craters, valleys, faults, ridges, and canyons. Three large regions have ridges and valleys reminiscent of a plowed field. One of the…
-
What Is the Ninth Planet From the Sun, How Far Away Is Pluto, and Is Pluto a Planet, a Moon, or an Asteroid?
Some astronomers have questioned whether Pluto should be classified as a planet, rather than an errant moon or an asteroid. The does not generate light; it is less massive than a star; it…
-
Where Is Planet X Located, Why Was Pluto Called Planet X, and Why Hasn’t Planet X Been Found?
When Uranus was discovered in 1781, astronomers concluded that yet another, more distant, planet had to exist. Something, they figured, was exerting a strong gravitational influence on Uranus's orbit. They called that something…
