List of Biggest Natural Satellite In Solar System

A satellite is something that revolves around the object. A natural satellite is any heavenly body in a space that revolves around a larger object. Moon is considered a natural satellite because it revolves around a planet. Planets, asteroids, and comets revolve around the star such as our Sun and so determined as a natural satellite. Our Solar System has eight official planets and millions of minor planets. Every satellite is set in an orbit by the gravitational attraction between the satellite and the object it is revolving around. Ganymede is the largest natural satellite with an average orbital speed of 10.88 km/s. The average orbital radius of the biggest natural satellite “Ganymede” is 1.07 million km. 

The First Largest Satellite of The Solar System - Ganymede

Ganymede is the largest satellite of Jupiter with 79 moons as well as the largest moon in the solar system.  It revolves around Jupiter with a diameter of  5263 kilometers. In size, the Ganymede is bigger than the smallest planet Mercury and would have easily been categorized as a planet if it was revolving around the sun. The satellite retains its magnetic field.  Galileo Galilei the Italian astronomer discovered this satellite on January 7, 1610. At a distance of 1,0700,400 km, the satellite revolves around the planet Jupiter and takes 7.1 days to complete one revolution. The two types of terrain found on the surface of Ganymede consist of lighter, younger areas and a darker cratered region. The atmosphere of the planet is thin and has oxygen in dispersed molecules. The planet is made up of rocky planets and water ice, and it is determined to have underground oceans. In Greek Mythology, The name “ Ganymede” is derived from a prince.

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Second Largest Satellite In Solar System- Titan

Titan is the second biggest satellite of planet Saturn as well as the second-largest moon with a diameter of 5,150 km. I. A Dutch astronomer, Christiaan Huygensdiscovered this moon in 1655. The atmosphere of Titan is dense and is similar to that of Earth. 90% of the atmosphere consists of nitrogen, and the rest is methane and small amounts of ammonia, argon, and ethane. The satellite around the planet Saturn in 16 days. The surface of the moon has seas and lakes that are filled with liquid hydrocarbons. The Titan is the satellite body other than the earth that retains water bodies in our solar system. The name of this moon came from Greek mythology about ancient gods called Titans. Most of Titan’s mass is made up of ice and rocky materials.

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Third Largest Satellite In Solar System:  Callisto

Callisto is the third-largest natural satellite of planet Jupiter as well as the third-largest moon with a diameter of 4,821 km. The satellite is estimated to be 4.5 billion years old. The surface of this satellite is mostly cratered. It did not have any geological activities for most of its existence. The third-largest natural satellite, Callisto, was discovered by Galileo Galilei on January 7, 1610. The name of this satellite came from the Greek mythology of a nymph called Callisto. It revolves around the planet Jupiter at an estimated distance of 1,882,700 km. The satellite Callisto takes 16.7 days to rotate on its axis and also revolves around Jupiter. It is not largely affected by Jupiter’s magnetosphere as it is the farthest moon from the planet Jupiter. Water ice including other materials such as magnesium and hydrated silicates comprises most of its mass. The color of the Callisto’s surface is dark, and a salty sea is believed to lie below the surface.

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Fourth Largest Satellite In Solar System:  Lo

Lo is the fourth largest natural satellite of planet Jupiter as well as the fourth-largest moon with a diameter of  3,643 km. Galileo Galilei discovered this satellite in 1610. The satellite is considered to be the most active body after Earth with volcanic activity. The surface of this satellite comprises mainly floodplains of liquid rock and lava lakes. The satellite revolves at approximately 422,000 km from the planet Jupiter in 1.77 Earth-days and is regarded as the fifth moon of the planet Jupiter. The satellite has a dotted presence of white, red, yellow, black, and orange. The atmosphere of this satellite comprises mainly Sulphur dioxide. The satellite was named after a nymph called Io who was encouraged by the gods Zeus in Greek mythology. A layer made of the iron core is found under the smooth surface of this satellite and its outer layer is made up of brown silicate.

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Other Biggest Natural Satellite of Solar System

Other biggest satellite of solar system and the planets they revolve includes, the Earth’s Moon with a diameter of 3,475 km, Jupiter's Europa with a diameter of 3,122 km, Neptune's Triton with a diameter of 2,707km, Uranus's Titania with a diameter of 1,578km, Saturn's Rhea with a diameter of  1,529km and Uranus's Oberon with a diameter of 1,523 km. Most of the observations on the above satellite are generally done from the ground. Advanced technology enabled scientists to send artificial satellites to revolve around the solar system and to get the discovery of more detail on these moons.

List of Largest Natural Satellite In Solar System (Top 10)

Facts

• As the planet Earth rotates on its axis, the celestial bodies such as the Moon, the Sun,and other celestial bodies appear to move from east to west across the sky. This motion is apparent but not true. In fact, the moon orbits the Earth in a west to east direction.

• The distance of the Moon from Earth is 240,000 miles (385,000km).

• The Earth’s natural satellite, Moon, is the fifth largest of more than 200 moons orbiting the planet in our Solar System.

• The natural satellite Moon is ringless. It has no rings.

• The astronaut Apollo, when stepped on the 

• moon, took back a total of 842 pounds of lunar rocks and soil on Earth from the Moon.

• The largest artificial satellite currently orbiting Earth is The International Space Station.