NATURAL SATELLITES OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM THAT ARE KNOWN IN ADDITION TO THE MOON - SCIENCE - 2025

145 natural satellites of the solar system are known, in addition to the Moon, according to the International Astronomical Union (IAU). This number does not include moons still awaiting official recognition, or moons of dwarf planets.

A dwarf planet is one that due to its size cannot clear most of the small objects that orbit it. Tiny natural satellites that orbit asteroids or celestial bodies are also left out.

The Moon is a natural satellite of the Earth.

On the other hand, a satellite is anything that orbits a larger object. Natural satellites are those that orbit the planets. They are also known as moons.

Natural satellites of the solar system

The natural satellites of the solar system vary in shape, size and type. Some are large enough to be spherical due to gravity.

Others appear to be asteroids trapped in the orbit of some celestial body. Some have atmosphere. In terms of their distribution, some planets lack moons, as is the case with Mercury and Venus.

Earth has only one natural satellite, the Moon, while Mars has two very small ones. The giant planets have a significant number of moons. Some of these are even larger than Mercury and Pluto.

Satellites of mars

Mars has two satellites: Deimos and Phobos. Their names were inspired by a passage in Book XV of Homer's Iliad.

In this the God Ares invokes Phobos (Greek name for panic) and Deimos (terror). Phobos is the largest and closest, and its shape is similar to an asteroid.

Deimos also has an irregular appearance, and unlike Phobos, it rises in the east and hides in the west.

Jupiter satellites

Jupiter is the planet with the largest number of natural satellites in the solar system, with a total of 67. Galileo discovered the first four in 1610: Callisto, Europa, Ganymede and Io.

Other satellites: Adrastea, Aedea, Aitné, Amaltea, Ananqué, Maple, Autónoe, Calé, Caldona, Calírroe, Carmé, Carpo, Cilene, Elara, Erínome, Euante, Eukélade, Euporia, Eurídome, Harpálice, Hegémone, Heliké, Himalia Hermipia, Isonoé, Kallichore, Kore, Leda, Lisitea, Tebe, Megaclite, Metis, Ortosia, Pasífae, Pasítea, Praxídice, Sinope, Spondé, Táigete, Telxínoe, Temisto, Tione and Yocasta.

Saturn satellites

The ice and rock particles in Saturn's planetary rings are not considered moons. Its satellite Titan is the second largest in the solar system, and it is the only one with a dense atmosphere.

The other satellites are: Aegir, Albiorix, Antea, Atlas, Bebhionn, Bergelmir, Bestla, Calypso, Daphne, Dione, Egeon, Enceladus, Epimetheus, Erriap, Farbauti, Fenrir, Fornjot, Greip, Hati, Helena, Hyperion, Hyrrokkin, Iapetus, Ijiraq, Jano, Jarnsaxa, Kari, Kiviuq, Loge, Metone, Mimas, Mundilfari, Narvi, Paaliaq, Palene, Pan, Pandora, Phoebe, Polux, Prometheus, Rea, Siarnaq, Skadi, Skoll, Surtur, Suttung, Tarqeq, Tarvos, Telesto, Tethys, Thrym, Titan and Ymir.

Satellites of Uranus

Uranus has 27 moons. These are named after characters from classical literature, unlike the other natural satellites in the solar system that are named after Greek and Roman mythological figures.

They are: Ariel, Belinda, Bianca, Calibán, Cordelia, Crésida, Cupido, Desdemona, Ferdinando, Francisco, Julieta, Mab, Margarita, Miranda, Oberón, Ofelia, Perdita, Porcia, Prospero, Puck, Rosalinda, Setebos, Sicorax, Stefano, Titania, Trinculo and Umbrie

Neptune satellites

The satellites of Neptune are: Despina, Galatea, Halimede, Laomedeia, Larisa, Náyade, Nereida, Neso, Proteo, Psámate, S / 2004 N 1, Sao, Thalasa and Tritón.

References

1. Our Solar System (2013). In National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Retrieved on September 13, 2017, from solarsystem.nasa.gov.
2. Seeds, MA and Backman, D. (2015). Foundations of Astronomy. Massachusetts: Cengage Learning.
3. Natural satellites. (2015, May 20). In Science Learning Hub. Retrieved on September 13, 2017, from sciencelearn.org.nz.
4. Russell, R. (2008, October 09). Moons in our Solar System. In Windows to the Universe. Retrieved on September 13, 2017, from windows2universe.org.
5. Capderou, M. (2005). Satellites. Orbits and Missions. Springer Science & Business Media.
6. Rojas Peña, I. (2012). Elemental Astronomy: Volume II: Astrophysics and Astrobiology.

   Valparaíso: USM Editions.