'A S T R O L O G I C A L' S U N M E R C U R Y V E N U S M O O N M A R S J U P R I T E R S A T U R N
'A S T R O N O M I C A L' E A R T H C E R E S U R A N U S N E P T U N E
D W A R F P L A N E T S, M O O N S & A S T E R O I D S
'A S T R O N O M I C A L' E A R T H C E R E S U R A N U S N E P T U N E
D W A R F P L A N E T S, M O O N S & A S T E R O I D S
C A L L I S T O
Callisto, named after the Greek mythological figure, is a moon of the planet Jupiter. It was discovered in 1610 by Galileo Galilei. It is the third-largest moon in the Solar System and the second largest in the Jovian system, after Ganymede. Callisto has about 99% the diameter of the planet Mercury but only about a third of its mass. It is the fourth Galilean moon of Jupiter by distance.
D I O N E
Dione is a moon of Saturn discovered by Cassini in 1684. It is named after the titan Dione of Greek mythology. Cassini named the four moons he discovered (Tethys, Dione, Rhea and Iapetus) Sidera Lodoicea (the stars of Louis) to honor king Louis XIV of France.
E U R O P A
Europa is the sixth closest moon of the planet Jupiter, and the smallest of its four Galilean satellites, but still one of the largest bodies in the Solar system. It was discovered in January 1610 by Galileo Galilei. The Europa name is after a mythical Phoenician noblewoman, Europa, who was courted by Zeus and became the queen of Crete.
P L U T O
Pluto is the second most massive known dwarf planet in the Solar System and the tenth most massive body observed directly orbiting the Sun. The name Pluto was proposed by Venetia Burney (1918–2009), an eleven-year-old schoolgirl from Oxford. Venetia was interested in classical mythology as well as astronomy, and considered the name, a name for the god of the underworld, appropriate for such a dark and cold world.
I O
Io is the innermost of the four Galilean moons of the planet Jupiter and, with a diameter of 3,642 kilometres (2,263 mi), the fourth-largest moon in the Solar System. It was named after the mythological character of Io, a priestess of Hera who became one of the lovers of Zeus.
G A N Y M E D E
Ganymede is a satellite of Jupiter and the largest moon in the Solar System. It is the seventh moon and third Galilean satellite outward from Jupiter.
It was named after the handsome son of King Tros, whom Jupiter, having taken the form of an eagle, transported to heaven on his back. According to Chinese astronomical records, in 365 BC, Gan De discovered a moon of Jupiter with the naked eye, probably Ganymede.
It was named after the handsome son of King Tros, whom Jupiter, having taken the form of an eagle, transported to heaven on his back. According to Chinese astronomical records, in 365 BC, Gan De discovered a moon of Jupiter with the naked eye, probably Ganymede.
C E R E S
Ceres, the largest asteroid and the only dwarf planet in the inner Solar System, was discovered on 1 January 1801 by Giuseppe Piazzi. With a diameter of about 950 km (590 mi), Ceres is by far the largest and most-massive body in the asteroid belt, and contains about a third of the belt's total mass. It is named after Ceres, the Roman goddess of growing plants, the harvest, and motherly love.
T I T A N
Titan is the largest moon of Saturn, the only natural satellite known to have a dense atmosphere, and the only object other than Earth for which clear evidence of stable bodies of surface liquid has been found. It is the sixth ellipsoidal moon from Saturn. Frequently described as a planet-like moon.
Titan was discovered on March 25, 1655, by the Dutch astronomer Christiaan Huygens. The name Titan comes from John Herschel.
Titan was discovered on March 25, 1655, by the Dutch astronomer Christiaan Huygens. The name Titan comes from John Herschel.
E R I S & D Y S N O M I A
Eris is the most massive known dwarf planet in the Solar System and the ninth most massive body known to orbit the Sun directly. It was discovered in January 2005 by a Palomar Observatory-based team led by Mike Brown. It has one known moon, Dysnomia. With the exception of some comets, Eris and Dysnomia are currently the most distant known natural objects in the Solar System. Eris is named after the Greek goddess Eris, a personification of strife and discord. Dysnomia is the only known moon of Eris. In Greek mythology Dysnomia is the daughter of Eris.
V E S T A
Vesta is one of the largest asteroids, with a mean diameter of about 530 kilometres (330 mi). It was discovered by Heinrich Wilhelm Olbers on March 29, 1807 and is named after the Roman virgin goddess of home and hearth, Vesta.