Natural Satellites In The Solar System

There are more than 200 moons in our solar system.

Natural satellites in the solar system.

In the solar system there are 219 satellites. The largest of these moons is ganymede which is one of the galilean moons. Titan is the largest moon of saturn and the second largest natural satellite in the solar system. There are 179 known natural satellites in the solar system each grouped unevenly throughout the eight planets.

Other bodies in the solar system like dwarf planets and asteroids also have natural satellites. Other natural satellites in our solar system. Natural satellites can come from a stray celestial body that gets pulled into a planet s gravitational pull or is formed from the debris of the primary shot into space by an external celestial object. As of july 2009 336 bodies have been formally classified as moons.

Moons come in many shapes sizes and types. See more information on moons here. A majority of those moons belong to the planet of saturn the second most belonging to jupiter. Several of the largest ones are in hydrostatic equilibrium and would therefore be considered dwarf planets or planets if they.

Planets and asteroids in our solar system orbit the sun. All of these can be thought of as. The solar system s planets and its most likely dwarf planets are known to be orbited by at least 219 natural satellites or moons. Of these all are covered by a crust of ice except for earth s moon and io.

It is the only moon known to have a dense atmosphere and the only known body in space other than earth where clear evidence of stable bodies of surface liquid has been found. Moons also known as natural satellites orbit planets and asteroids. Most orbit the giant planets with saturn and jupiter leading moon counts but even smaller worlds like pluto can have five moons in orbit. 19 of them are large enough to be gravitationally rounded.

A natural satellite or moon is a celestial body that orbits a planet or smaller body which is called the primary. Technically the term natural satellite could refer to a planet orbiting a star or a dwarf galaxy orbiting a major galaxy but it is normally synonymous with moon and used to identify non artificial satellites of planets dwarf planets and minor planets.