| Exploring The Planets Our Solar System |
Planetary Satellites Physical Data
Mercury no satellites
| Satellite Name |
Discoverer | Diameter | Distance from Earth |
Orbital Period (days) |
| Moon |
- |
3,476 km/2,160 mi | 384,400 km/238,860 mi | 27.3 |
Venus
no satellites
| Satellite Name |
Discoverer | Diameter | Distance from Mars |
Orbital Period (days) |
| Phobos | A. Hall,1877 | 21 km/13 mi | 9,380 km/5,830 mi | .32 |
| Deimos | A. Hall,1877 | 12 km/8 mi | 23,460 km/14,580 mi | 1.26 |
| Satellite Name |
Discoverer |
Diameter |
Distance from Jupiter |
Orbital |
Metis |
Synnott (V1),1979 |
40 km/25 mi |
127,960 km/79,510 mi |
.29 |
Adrastea |
Jewitt,Danielson 1979 |
25 km/16 mi |
128,980 km/80,140mi |
.30 |
Amalthea |
Barnard, 1892 |
170 km/106 mi |
181,300 km/112,660 mi |
.50 |
Thebe |
Synnott (V1),1979 |
100 km/62 mi |
221,900 km/137,880 mi |
.68 |
Io |
Galileo, 1610 |
3,630 km/2,256 mi |
421,600 km/261,970 mi |
1.77 |
Europa |
Galileo, 1610 |
3,140 km/1,951 mi |
670,900 km/416,880 mi |
3.55 |
Ganymede |
Galileo, 1610 |
5,260 km/3,268 mi |
1,070,000 km/664,870 mi |
7.16 |
Callisto |
Galileo, 1610 |
4,800 km/2,938 mi |
1,883,000km/1,170,000 mi |
16.69 |
Leda |
Kowal, 1974 |
15 km/9 mi |
11,094,000 km/6,893,500 mi |
238.72 |
Himalia |
Perrine, 1904 |
185 km/115 mi |
11,480,000 km/7,133,300 mi |
250.57 |
Lysithea |
Nicholson, 1938 |
35 km/22 mi |
11,720,000 km/7,282,500 mi |
259.22 |
Elara |
Perrine, 1905 |
75 km/47 mi |
11,737,000 km/7,293,000 mi |
259.70 |
Ananke |
Nicholson, 1951 |
30 km/19 mi |
21,200,000 km/13,173,100 mi |
631.00 |
Carme |
Nicholson, 1938 |
49 km/30 mi |
22,600,000 km/14,043,000 mi |
692.00 |
Pasiphae |
Melotte, 1908 |
50 km/31 mi |
23,500,000 km/14,602,000 mi |
735.00 |
Sinope |
Nicholson, 1914 |
35 km/22 mi |
23,700,000 km/14,726,500 mi |
758.00 |
S/1999 J1 |
1999** |
(?)10-15km/6-9mi |
24,000,000 km/15,000,000 mi |
~730.00 |
| As many as 17 more satellites
of Jupiter have been found and scientists continue to search for more. |
||
| ** | International Team: | T. Gehrels, A. Gleason, J. Larsen, B. Marsden, R. McMillan, J. Montani, J. Scotti, T. Spahr, G. Williams |
| Satellite Name |
Discoverer |
Diameter |
Distance from Saturn |
Orbital |
Pan |
Showalter, 1990 |
20 km/12 mi |
134,000 km/83,260 mi |
.58 |
Atlas |
Terrile, 1980 |
30 km/19 mi |
137,640 km/85,500 mi |
.60 |
Prometheus |
Collins, 1980 |
100 km/62 mi |
139,350 km/86,600 mi |
.61 |
Pandora |
Collins, 1980 |
90 km/56 mi |
141,700 km/88,000 mi |
.63 |
Epimetheus |
Walker, 1966 |
120 km/75 mi |
151,420 km/94,090 mi |
.69 |
Janus |
Dolfus, 1966 |
190 km/118 mi |
151,420 km/94,120 mi |
.70 |
Mimas |
Herschel, 1789 |
390 km/242 mi |
185,520 km/115,280 mi |
.94 |
Enceladus |
Herschel, 1789 |
500 km/311 mi |
238,020 km/147,900 mi |
1.37 |
Tethys |
Cassini, 1684 |
1,060 km/659 mi |
294,660 km/183,000 mi |
1.89 |
Telesto |
Smith, 1980 |
25 km/16 mi |
294,660 km/183,000 mi |
1.89 |
Calypso |
Smith, 1980 |
25 km/16 mi |
294,660 km/183,000 mi |
1.89 |
Dione |
Cassini, 1684 |
1,120 km/696 mi |
377,400 km/234,500 mi |
2.74 |
Helene |
Laques/Lecacheux,1980 |
30 km/19 mi |
377,400 km/234,500 mi |
2.74 |
Rhea |
Cassini, 1672 |
1,530 km/951 mi |
527,040 km/327,500 mi |
4.52 |
Titan |
Huygens, 1655 |
5,150 km/3,200 mi |
1,221,850 km/759,200 mi |
15.95 |
Hyperion |
Bond, 1971 |
255 km/159 mi |
1,481,000 km/920,300 mi |
21.28 |
Iapetus |
Cassini, 1671 |
1,460 km/907 mi |
3,561,300 km/2,212,900 mi |
79.33 |
Phoebe |
Pickering, 1898 |
220 km/137 mi |
12,952,000 km/8,048,000 mi |
550.48 |
S/2000S1 |
2000** |
10-50 km/6-30 mi |
>15,000,000 km/9,000,000 mi |
? |
S/2000S2 |
2000** |
10-50 km/6-30 mi |
>15,000,000 km/9,000,000 mi |
? |
S/2000S3 |
2000** |
10-50 km/6-30 mi |
>15,000,000 km/9,000,000 mi |
? |
S/2000S4 |
2000** |
10-50 km/6-30 mi |
>15,000,000 km/9,000,000 mi |
? |
|
As many as 8 more satellites of Saturn have been found
and scientists continue to search for more.
|
||||
|
** International Team: Burns, Gladman,
Holman, Kavelaars, Marsden, Nicholson, Petit, Scholl
|
||||
Uranus
| Satellite Name |
Discoverer |
Diameter |
Distance from Uranus |
Orbital |
Cordelia |
Voyager 2, 1986 |
25 km/16 mi |
49,750 km/30,910 mi |
.34 |
Ophelia |
Voyager 2, 1986 |
25 km/16 mi |
53,760 km/33,400 mi |
.38 |
Bianca |
Voyager 2, 1986 |
45 km/28 mi |
59,160 km/36,760 mi |
.44 |
Cressida |
Voyager 2, 1986 |
65 km/40 mi |
61,770 km/38,400 mi |
.46 |
Desdemona |
Voyager 2, 1986 |
60 km/37 mi |
62,660 km/38,940 mi |
.47 |
Juliet |
Voyager 2, 1986 |
85 km/53 mi |
64,360 km/40,000 mi |
.49 |
Portia |
Voyager 2, 1986 |
110 km/68 mi |
66,100 km/41,070 mi |
.51 |
Rosalind |
Voyager 2, 1986 |
60 km/37 mi |
69,930 km/43,500 mi |
.56 |
Belinda |
Voyager 2, 1986 |
68 km/42 mi |
75,260 km/46,800 mi |
.62 |
Puck |
Voyager 2, 1986 |
155 km/96 mi |
86,010 km/53,440 mi |
.76 |
Miranda |
Kuiper, 1948 |
485 km/301 mi |
129,780 km/80,640 mi |
1.41 |
Ariel |
Lassell, 1851 |
1,160 km/721 mi |
191,240 km/118,800 mi |
2.52 |
Umbriel |
Lassell, 1851 |
1,190 km/739 mi |
265,970 km/165,300 mi |
4.14 |
Titania |
Herschel, 1787 |
1,610 km/1,000 mi |
435,840 km/270,800 mi |
8.71 |
Oberon |
Herschel, 1787 |
1,550 km/963 mi |
582,600 km/362,000 mi |
13.46 |
1997U1 |
Gladman, Nicholson, |
approx. 80 km/49.6 mi |
7,164,647 km |
579.4 |
1999U1 |
Gladman, Petie, Scholl, |
20 km/12.4 mi |
10,000,000 km |
n/a |
1997U2 |
Gladman, Nicholson, |
approx. 160 km/99.2 mi |
12,174,687 km |
1284 |
1999U2 |
Gladman, Petie, Scholl, |
20 km/12.4 mi |
25,000,000 km |
n/a |
1999U3 |
Gladman, Petie, Scholl, |
20 km/12.4 mi |
10-25,000,000 km |
n/a |
2001U1 |
Holman, Kavelaars, |
n/a |
n/a |
n/a |
| 2003U1 | Showalter and Lissauer, 2003 | 16 km/10 mi | 97,700 km 60,700 mi |
.92 |
| 2003U2 | Showalter and Lissauer, 2003 | 12 km/8 mi | 74,800 km 46,500 mi |
.62 |
| 1986U10 | Voyager 2, 1986 Karkoschka, 1999 |
40 km/25 mi | 75,000 km 46,600 mi |
.62 |
| * Name has been provisionally approved by the IAU. | ||||
| Satellite Name |
Discoverer |
Diameter |
Distance from Neptune |
Orbital |
Naiad |
Voyager 2, 1989 |
60 km/37 mi |
48,000 km/29,800 mi |
.30 |
Thalassa |
Voyager 2, 1989 |
80 km/50 mi |
50,000 km/31,100 mi |
.31 |
Despina |
Voyager 2, 1989 |
150 km/ 93 mi |
52,500 km/32,600 mi |
.33 |
Galatea |
Voyager 2, 1989 |
160 km/99 mi |
62.000 km/38,500 mi |
.43 |
Larissa |
Voyager 2, 1989 |
190 km/118 mi |
73,600 km/45,700 mi |
.55 |
Proteus |
Voyager 2, 1989 |
420 km/261 mi |
117,600 km/73,100 mi |
1.12 |
Triton |
Lassell, 1846 |
2,700 km/1,678 mi |
354,800 km/220,500 mi |
5.88 |
Nereid |
Kuiper, 1949 |
340 km/211 mi |
5,513,400 km/3,426,000 mi |
365.21 |
| Satellite Name |
Discoverer |
Diameter |
Distance from Pluto |
Orbital |
Charon |
J. Christy, 1978 |
1,270 km/789 mi |
19,640 km/12,200 mi |
6.39 |
©2002 National Air and Space Museum