Jupiter, the biggest planet of the solar system is surrounded with more than 60 natural satellites. The first moons of Jupiter were discovered in 1610. Galileo Galilei discovered to this time four bigger satellites of the Io system Io, Europe, Ganymede and Callisto. These moons called since Galileans, were the first ones must to be observed except that of the Earth. Today thanks to space probes, we have a more complete sight of the Io system. It is the series of the missions to Travel who allowed to raise the veil on the Io system (on 1979: Half-blood, Thebe and Adrastea). Before the spatial era, the astronomers had discovered: Amalthea ( 1892 ), Himalia ( 1904 ), Elara ( 1905 ), Pasiphae ( 1908 ), Sinope ( 1914 ), Lisitea and Carme ( 1938 ), Ananké ( 1951 ), Leda ( 1974 ) and Temisto ( 1975 ). Between 1979 and 1999, no new satellite of Jupiter was discovered and it was necessary to wait on October 6th, 1999, so that the Spacewatch program discovers the new moon to Jupiter, Calirroe.

The observations of 2000 revealed ten new moons, carrying the number of satellites in 28 after the rediscovery of Temisto, Kalyke, Iocaste, Erinome, Harpalyke, Isonoe, Praxidice, Megaclite, Táigete, Chaldene and S / 2000 J 11. The next year, eleven other moons were discovered, bringing the total to 39, Hermippe, Eurydome, Sponde, Kale, Autonoe, Thyone, Pasithee, Euanthe, Orthosie, Euporie and Aitné. In 2002, the single moon, Arche, was discovered. In 2003 there is a discovery of 23 new satellites, Eukelade, S / 2003 J 2, S / 2003 J 3, S / 2003 J 4, S / 2003 J 5, Helike, Aoede, Hegemone, S / 2003 J 9, S / 2003 J 10, Kallichore, S / 2003 J 12, Cyllene, S / 2003 J 14, S / 2003 J 15, S / 2003 J 16, S / 2003 J 17, S / 2003 J 18, S / 2003 J 19, Carpo, Mneme, Telxinoe and S / 2003 J 23. Most of 47 satellites discovered after 2000s are the small moons of some kilometers in diameter, the biggest reaching hardly 9 km. In 2006, we knew 63 moons about Jupiter, the record of the solar system.

Ganymede

category : satellites of planets

Ganymede is the biggest moon of Jupiter and also the solar system. It was discovered in 1610 by Galilee and Simon Marius who so named it in honor of Ganymede, troyon prince of big beauty, kidnapped by Zeus, transformed in eagle, while he made graze his herd on the mountain Ida de Troade. Ganymede has a diameter superior to that of the Mercury and about half of its mass. Ganymede consists of silicate and ice of water resting on a liquid coat which could contain some liquid water.

Callisto

category : satellites of planets

Callisto was discovered in 1610 by Galilee and Simon Marius. This last one so named it in honor of Callisto, a nymph of a very big beauty, a following one of Artemis and loving conquest of Zeus, of which she had Arcas.
Callisto has a surface intensely craterised. Its size in fact the third biggest moon of the system solar and comparable to Mercury. Callisto an enormous ice floe of several kilometers in thickness under which exists probably a liquid ocean.

[photography taken by the probe Galileo]

Io

category : satellites of planets

Io is one of four Galilean moons of Jupiter, the closest to the planet. it pulls its name of Io, loving conquest of Zeus persecuted by the wife of this last one, Hera, whose a priestess she had been. Io is especially remarkable for its active, observed volcanism that on the Earth, Triton and Enceladus. The energy necessary for this activity results probably from interactions of tide between Io, Europe, Ganymede and Jupiter. Although Io always presents the same in front of Jupiter, the presence of Europe and Ganymede makes it vacillate a little. This interaction deforms the surface of Io which lifts up itself and falls up to 100 meters and produces of the heat by internal friction.
more details of IO

Europe

category : satellites of planets

Europe is one of four Galilean moons, discovered by Galilee and Simon Marius who so named it in honor of Europe, princess phenicienne, delighted on a beach of Sidon by Zeus transformed in white bull. Of their union were born Minos, Rhadamanthe and Sarpedon. Europe is subjected to the strong gravitational strengths of Jupiter. The Galileo probe revealed the presence on its surface of crystals of sulfate of magnesium, which on Earth are in the dried up lakes. The ice of surface of several kilometers in thickness ache a maintained liquid ocean by the heating produced by the strengths of tide due to the nearness with Jupiter.
[photography taken by the probe Galileo]

Amalthea

category : satellites of planets

Amalthea was discovered in 1892 by the American astronomer Edward Emerson Barnard by means of the telescope of 91 cm of the look-out observatory Lick. It is the first satellite of Jupiter discovered since the Galilean moons of 1610. Its name comes from the nymph who feeds Jupiter. Amalthea has a very irregular shape, strongly craterised. Amalthea must not be confused with the asteroid (113) Amalthea.
[photography  taken in 1999 by the probe Galileo]

Himalia

category : satellites of planets

Himalia is an irregular satellite of Jupiter which revolves in 11 443 000 km of the planet. it was discovered in 1904 by Charles Dillon Perrine to the look-out observatory Lick in California. It is the biggest moon of the group Himalia. Himalia was a nymph who carried three sons of Zeus (Jupiter) in the Greek mythology.

[photography taken in 2000 by the probe Cassini-Huygens]

Thebe

category : satellites of planets

Thebe is the moon 100 km in diameter on average. It revolves on an orbit in 222000 km of Jupiter. 1 in 1980 were discovered by Stephen Synott from the data of Voyager.

[photography taken in 2000 by the probe Galileo]