If it were orbiting Sun it would be considered a planet. … Typically found in planets, including Earth and Jupiter, a magnetosphere is a comet-shaped region in which charged particles are trapped or deflected. First off, there is no place to stand, the surface is gas. Simon Marius probably made an independent discovery of the moons at about the same time that Galileo did, and he may have unwittingly sighted th… Ganymede has a smaller diameter then Earth (0.413), a thing that will help air currents mix temperatures. It is the seventh moon and third Galilean satellite outward from Jupiter. It is the largest moon in the solar system, much larger than the Earth's moon, with a diameter that is about the distance across the United States, of 5262 km (3270 miles). The atmosphere is far too thin to support life as we know it.if(typeof __ez_fad_position != 'undefined'){__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-ourplnt_com-medrectangle-4-0')}; Related: The Moons of the Solar System in Perspective. Ganymede /ˈɡænɨmiːd/ (Jupiter III) is a satellite of Jupiter and the largest moon in the Solar System. It is composed of iron, silica, oxygen and trace amounts of other elements. With an immense diameter of about 5,2682 km or 3,273.5 miles, Ganymede is the most massive and largest moon in the solar system. During a G1 flyby in 1996, the Ganymedian magnetic field was discovered, while the discovery of the ocean was announced in 2001. A 100kg man would weigh 14.6kg on Ganymede. About half of the surface is old and cratered while the rest consists of much younger, lighter regions. How does Jupiter compare to Earth? Ganymede is the largest moon in the solar system, and is larger than the planet Mercury. When the numerical naming system was abandoned in the mid-1800s, the moon was named after Ganymede, a Trojan prince in Greek mythology. 30 deg: 16 C 6. Home » Solar System » What if Ganymede was the Earth’s second moon? In Depth. The European Space Agency plans a mission called JUICE (JUpiter ICy moons Explorer) that would launch from Earth in 2022 for arrival at Jupiter in 2030. What’s more, Ganymede’s crust is very rich in water ice. Space is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Largest Great White Sharks Ever Recorded Temperature: Daytime temperatures on the surface average minus 171 degrees Fahrenheit to minus 297 F, and night temperatures drop to -193C. The Largest Alligator Ever Measured They refined its size, revealing it was larger than Saturn’s moon Titan, which was previously thought to have been bigger. It has a mean radius of 2634.1±0.3 km (about 1636 miles, 0.413 Earths). Size: Ganymede's mean radius is 1,635 miles (2,631.2 km). The radius of Earth at the equator is 6,378 kilometers (3,963 miles). Second, Jupiter is 300 times the size of earth and has (at least) 79 moons vs. Earth's one moon. By the Numbers. It has the highest mass of all planetary satellites with 2.01 times the mass of the Earth's moon. The frost on Ganymede reaches latitudes as low as 40 degrees on average and 25 degrees at some locations. Fellow astronomer Simon Marius named it Ganymede for a Greek child who served as a cup-bearer to Zeus or Jupiter, king of the … It is not only the largest natural satellite of Jupiter but it is also the largest natural satellite of our … It is believed that Ganymede has a saltwater ocean below its surface. NASA's Mars helicopter Ingenuity touches down on the Red Planet. It orbits Jupiter at a distance of 1,070,400 kilometers (665.116 miles). Ganymede was one of the four moons of Jupiter discovered by Galileo in 1610. Compared to Earth's polar caps, Ganymede's polar terrain is relatively vast. Jupiter is a gaseous planet while earth is a solid rock planet. Ganymede's surface is similar to that of Earth's moon in that is composed of two types of terrain. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Due to its internal structure, it is believed that the pressure at the base of the ocean is so high that any water down there would turn to ice. New York, Its surface gravity is 0.146g or 14.6% of the earths. Differences in the number and speed of cometary impacts onto Jupiter's large moons Ganymede and Callisto some 3.8 billion years ago can explain … Its mass is 10% greater than Titan’s (Saturn), 38% greater than Callisto’s (Jupiter), 66% greater than Io’s (Jupiter), and 2.02 times that of the Earth’s Moon. It is the largest and most massive of the Solar System’s moons. Ganymede was discovered by Galileo Galilei on Jan. 7, 1610. The discovery of the four Galilean satellites eventually led to the understanding that planets in our solar system orbit the sun, instead of our solar system revolving around Earth. [Photos of Ganymede, Jupiter's Largest Moon] Size: Ganymede's mean radius is 1,635 miles (2,631.2 km). ... Zodiacal light is sunlight reflected toward Earth by dust orbiting the Sun. There is some speculation that Ganymede’s existing internal ocean (that may contain more water than all of Earth’s oceans combined) may already be hospitable for life, which means there might even already be native Ganymedan life. There are also a number of bumps on Ganymede's surface, which may be rock formations. Several spacecraft have flown by Jupiter and its moons. Ganymede was discovered by Galileo Galilei on Jan. 7, 1610. Top 10 Largest Insects On Earth Distance from Jupiter: Ganymede is the seventh moon and third Galilean satellite outward from Jupiter, orbiting at about 665,000 miles (1.070 million kilometers). Get breaking space news and the latest updates on rocket launches, skywatching events and more! Until recently, scientists thought Ganymede has no atmosphere. In 2015, a study by the Hubble Space Telescope looked at Ganymede's auroras and how they change between Ganymede's and Jupiter's magnetic fields. If it were … It was discovered, along with Europa, Ganymede and Callisto by Galileo Galilei in 1610. Age: Ganymede is about 4.5 billion years old, about the same age as Jupiter. Ganymede has areas on its surface as old as the solar system, up to 4.5 billion years old. The Moons of the Solar System in Perspective, Ingenuity the Mars helicopter carries a swatch from Wright Brothers’ first aircraft, What is equilux and why day and night aren’t equal lengths on an equinox, Movement of Carbon Dioxide Between the Air and Sea (Video). Ganymede is the only moon with its own magnetic field, which causes auroras. Ganymede is much colder than Earth, with these daytime temperatures ranging across the surface from 90 to 160 Kelvin (or -297 to -171 degrees Fahrenheit). Recently, however, the Hubble Space Telescope detected ozone at the surface of the big moon. Ganymede would be the second moon explored by the Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter, after Callisto. Also, Jupiter has a 300 year-old storm that would swallow up the Earth … So without an atmosphere, Ganymede is deadly. If it was orbiting Earth that ice would quickly melt and turn it into an ocean moon. On Earth, the average temperature is +15 degrees C. By using greenhouse gasses we will try the best to get a similar value. What if Ganymede was the Earth’s second moon? Larger than Mercury and Pluto, and only slightly smaller than Mars, it would easily be classified as a planet if were orbiting the sun rather than Jupiter. It is the ninth-largest object in the Solar System and the largest without a substantial atmosphere. The discovery, along with three other Jovian moons, was the first time a moon was discovered orbiting a planet other than Earth. The grooves, which were likely formed as a result of tectonic activity or water being released from beneath the surface, are as high as 2,000 feet and stretch for thousands of miles. Ganymede's surface is made up of primarily two types of terrain: about 40 percent is dark with numerous craters, and 60 percent is lighter in color with grooves that form intricate patterns to give the satellite its distinctive appearance. Ganymede receives about 0.08 Sv (8 rem) of radiation per day. 60 deg: 14 C 4. Average temperatures for each latitude: 1. poles: 11 C 2. Also an animal lover! The Ganymede magnetosphere shown in Fig. Ganymede is the ninth-largest extraterritorial object in the Solar System, without a considerable atmosphere. The Galilean moons are the four largest moons of Jupiter: Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. Galileo's discovery eventually led to the understanding that planets orbit the sun, instead of our solar system revolving around Earth. 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