How many moons does Jupiter have?

In October 2024, NASA's Europa Clipper mission lifts off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. the goal? Approaching Europa, one of Jupiter's icy moons.

This moon arouses the interest of scientists because of its potential habitability. But this new mission reminds us of a question that has preoccupied astronomers for decades: How many moons orbit Jupiter? ?

Jupiter is surrounded by many natural moons

Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system, and it also has an impressive collection of natural moons. Until now, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) has officially recognized it 95 moons About the gas giant. But this impressive number is not static, because the situation is more complicated than it seems.

The four most famous moons of Jupiter are called ” Moons of Galilee“. They were discovered in 1610 by the Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei. These moons Ganymede, Callisto, Io and Europe. They alone represent almost 99.97% of the mass of everything revolves around Jupiter. Each of these moons has its own unique features, such as active volcanoes on Io or subterranean oceans beneath Europa's icy surface. This is what makes it so interesting for scientific research.

Ganymede, the largest of the four planets, is more massive than the planet Mercury. Meanwhile, Europe is at the center of much speculation. Beneath its icy crust are oceans of liquid water that could contain life forms. This possibility makes Europe a priority research topic. NASA's Europa Clipper mission aims to study this satellite in greater depth starting in 2030.

Much more than the moons of Galilee

While the Galileo satellites often steal the spotlight, they are just the tip of the iceberg in a huge family of satellites orbiting Jupiter. In addition to these four major moons, it has the planet Jupiter Another 91 moons have been identifiedwhich exceeds its diameter 1 km. But only among these moons 57 They were named, while the others remained numbered.

The majority of these small moons are captured objects, such as asteroids and rock fragments. These small satellites, which are often irregularly shaped and have elliptical orbits, do not have the ability to retain an atmosphere. Researchers even believe that Jupiter is surrounded by planets Thousands of glassesEven smaller pieces of debris orbit the planet without being officially recognized as moons.

Read also: Why is Pluto no longer a planet?

Competition with Saturn

Jupiter's moon stock has evolved over the centuries, as has the moon stock of Saturn, its neighbor in the solar system. For a long time, Jupiter and Saturn have been engaged in a kind of “competition” for the title of planet with the largest number of moons. At the end of the twentieth century, Jupiter was counted 12 moons Known, while Saturn was 8.

This number remained relatively stable until the late 1970s, when space probes For travel It revealed the presence of new moons around the two gas giants. This was the beginning of the active search for new satellites. Since then, the race has intensified, especially between… 2018 and 2023. This was a period when discoveries of new moons accelerated thanks to advances in observational technology.

However, since 2023, Saturn takes the lead with an impressive 146 moons. This number has been confirmed by in-depth observations, especially with new generation telescopes. Although Jupiter is still a giant in size, Saturn now holds the record for the number of moons in our solar system.

Fascinating moons to explore

Although the number of moons is still a matter of interest, it is their properties and scientific potential that really captivate researchers. For example, Titanthe largest of Saturn's moons, is characterized by a dense atmosphere and a landscape made up of lakes and rivers… not water, but Liquid methane. With its atmosphere rich in organic compounds, Titan, like Europa, is one of the best candidates for harboring extraterrestrial life.

In the future, many space missions promise to learn more about these satellites. Along with the mission Europe Clipper Which will reach Jupiter in the 2030s, and NASA also plans to launch it dragonflya drone helicopter from which you will explore Titan 2028. Exploring the moons of Saturn and Jupiter represents a major challenge in the search for extraterrestrial life and understanding the composition of our solar system.