Galileo Galilei was the first astronomer to observe Jupiter’s moon Ganymede on January 7, 1610.
Ganymede, made mostly of ice and rock, is the third farthest Galilean moon from Jupiter and is the planet’s largest satellite.
Ganymede is also the biggest moon, or satellite in our solar system.
Its surface is cratered, like Jupiter’s farthest moon, Callisto, and our Moon, but there are large areas of ridges and valleys.
This seems to result from tension due to the stretching of Ganymede’s surface.
Some areas split to form grooves while the surrounding area remains high.
Water appears to seep out from under the moon’s surface, which causes some of the craters and valleys to appear very bright.
Ganymede was named after mythological Ganymede, cupbearer of the Greek gods and Zeus’s beloved.
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.…
-
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…
-
Who Discovered Jupiter’s Second Largest Moon Callisto and What Is Callisto Made Of?
The third-largest moon in the Solar System Callisto was discovered in 1610 by Galileo Galilei. The farthest Galilean moon from Jupiter, Callisto is mostly made of ice and rock. Its surface shows many…
-
Where Did the Moon Come From, How Did Earth Get Its Only Satellite, and How Long Ago Was the Moon Created?
There are many theories about how the Moon formed. The current favorite says that a huge asteroid, maybe the same one that is thought to have tilted Earth's axis, hit Earth, throwing off…
-
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 Is The Straight Wall On the Moon and How Did the Topographical Feature On the Moon Get Its Name?
Neither straight, nor a wall, the Straight Wall is a fascinating topographical feature in the Moon's southwest quadrant on the eastern border of the Mare Nubium. It looks like a straight, precise wall,…
