Name | (km) |
From Planet (×103 km) |
Period (days) |
Period (days) |
Inclination |
Eccentricity |
(%) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Small Inner Regular Satellites | |||||||
Metis | 44 | 127.96 | 0.294780 | 0.294780 | 0.021° | 0.001 | 5 |
Adrastea | 26 × 20 × 16 | 128.98 | 0.29826 | 0.29826 | 0.027° | 0.002 | 5 |
Amalthea | 262 × 146 × 134 | 181.3 | 0.498179 | 0.498179 | 0.389° | 0.003 | 7 |
Thebe | 110 × 90 | 221.90 | 0.6745 | 1.070° | 0.018 | 4 | |
The Galilean Satellites | |||||||
Io | 3,642.6 | 421.8 | 1.769138 | 1.769138 | 0.036° | 0.004 | 63 |
Europa | 3,122 | 671.1 | 3.551181 | 3.551181 | 0.467° | 0.009 | 67 |
Ganymede | 5,262 | 1,070.4 | 7.154553 | 7.154553 | 0.172° | 0.001 | 44 |
Callisto | 4,821 | 1,882.7 | 16.689018 | 16.689018 | 0.307° | 0.007 | 20 |
Themisto (A Sole Direct Satellite) | |||||||
Themisto | 9 | 7,507.0 | 130 | 43.08° | 0.242 | ||
The Himalia Group of Direct Satellites | |||||||
Leda | 18 | 11,165 | 240.9 | 27.46° | 0.164 | 7 | |
Himalia | 184 | 11,461 | 0.4 | 250.5662 | 27.63° | 0.162 | 3 |
Lysithea | 38 | 11,717 | 259.22 | 28.30° | 0.112 | 6 | |
Elara | 78 | 11,741 | 0.5 | 259.6528 | 26.63° | 0.217 | 3 |
S/2000 J11 | 4 | 12,555 | 287.0 | 28.30° | 0.248 | ||
Carpo (A Sole Direct Satellite) | |||||||
Carpo | 3 | 16,989 | 456.1 | 51.4° | 0.430 | ||
The Ananke Group of Retrograde Satellites | |||||||
S/2003 J3 | 2 | 18,340 | -504.0 | 143.7° | 0.241 | ||
S/2003 J12 | 1 | 19,002 | -533.3 | 145.8° | 0.376 | ||
Euporie | 2 | 19,302 | -550.7 | 145.8° | 0.144 | ||
S/2003 J18 | 2 | 20,700 | -606.3 | 146.5° | 0.119 | ||
Orthosie | 2 | 20,721 | -622.6 | 145.9° | 0.281 | ||
Euanthe | 3 | 20,799 | -620.6 | 148.9° | 0.232 | ||
Thyone | 4 | 20,940 | -627.3 | 148.5° | 0.229 | ||
S/2003 J16 | 2 | 21,000 | -595.4 | 148.6° | 0.270 | ||
Mneme | 2 | 21,069 | -620.0 | 148.6° | 0.227 | ||
Harpalyke | 4 | 21,105 | -623.3 | 148.6° | 0.226 | ||
Hermippe | 4 | 21,131 | -623.9 | 150.7° | 0.210 | ||
Praxidike | 7 | 21,147 | -625.3 | 149.0° | 0.230 | ||
Thelxinoe | 2 | 21,162 | -628.1 | 151.4° | 0.221 | ||
Iocaste | 5 | 21,269 | -631.5 | 149.4° | 0.216 | ||
Ananke | 28 | 21,276 | -610.5 | 148.9° | 0.244 | 6 | |
The Carme Group of Retrograde Satellites | |||||||
S/2003 J17 | 2 | 22,000 | -690.3 | 163.7° | 0.190 | ||
S/2003 J9 | 1 | 22,442 | -683.0 | 164.5° | 0.269 | ||
S/2003 J19 | 2 | 22,800 | -701.3 | 162.9° | 0.334 | ||
Arche | 3 | 22,931 | -723.9 | 165.0° | 0.259 | ||
Pasithee | 2 | 23,096 | -719.5 | 165.1° | 0.267 | ||
Chaldene | 4 | 23,179 | -723.8 | 165.2° | 0.251 | ||
Kale | 2 | 23,217 | -729.5 | 165.0° | 0.260 | ||
Isonoe | 4 | 23,217 | -725.5 | 165.2° | 0.246 | ||
Aitne | 3 | 23,231 | -730.2 | 165.1° | 0.264 | ||
Erinome | 3 | 23,279 | -728.3 | 164.9° | 0.266 | ||
Taygete | 5 | 23,360 | -732.2 | 165.2° | 0.252 | ||
Carme | 46 | 23,404 | -702.3 | 164.9° | 0.253 | 6 | |
Kalyke | 5 | 23,583 | -743.0 | 165.2° | 0.245 | ||
Eukelade | 4 | 23,661 | -746.4 | 165.5° | 0.272 | ||
Kallichore | 2 | 24,043 | -764.7 | 165.5° | 0.264 | ||
S/2003 J5 | 4 | 24,084 | -759.7 | 165.0° | 0.210 | ||
S/2003 J10 | 2 | 24,250 | -767.0 | 164.1° | 0.214 | ||
The Pasiphae Group of Retrograde Satellites | |||||||
Helike | 4 | 21,263 | -634.8 | 154.8° | 0.156 | ||
Eurydome | 3 | 22,865 | -717.3 | 150.3° | 0.276 | ||
Autonoe | 4 | 23,039 | -762.7 | 152.9° | 0.334 | ||
Sponde | 2 | 23,487 | -748.3 | 151.0° | 0.312 | ||
Pasiphae | 58 | 23,624 | -708.0 | 151.4° | 0.409 | 10 | |
Megaclite | 6 | 23,806 | -752.8 | 152.8° | 0.421 | ||
Sinope | 38 | 23,939 | -724.5 | 158.1° | 0.250 | 5 | |
Hegemone | 3 | 23,947 | -739.6 | 155.2° | 0.328 | ||
Aoede | 4 | 23,981 | -761.5 | 158.3° | 0.432 | ||
S/2003 J23 | 2 | 24,056 | -759.7 | 149.2° | 0.309 | ||
Callirrhoe | 7 | 24,102 | -758.8 | 147.1° | 0.283 | ||
Cyllene | 2 | 24,349 | -737.8 | 149.3° | 0.319 | ||
Unallocated Retrograde Satellites | |||||||
S/2003 J15 | 2 | 22,000 | -668.4 | 140.8° | 0.110 | ||
S/2003 J4 | 2 | 23,258 | -723.2 | 144.9° | 0.204 | ||
S/2003 J14 | 2 | 25,000 | -807.8 | 140.9° | 0.222 | ||
S/2003 J2 | 2 | 28,570 | -982.5 | 151.8° | 0.380 |
Un-named satellites are in blue.
The first group is the four small inner satellites. Of these, Metis and Adrastea orbit the planet faster than it rotates on its axis. The second group are the four large Galilean satellites. These are evenly spaced out. The inner satellites have almost circular orbits
Themisto is an isolated satellite not part of any group. Further out is the third group of five orbiting between 11 and 12 million kilometres. Carpo is another isolated satellite.
The fourth, fifth and sixth groups of 15, 17 and 12 satellites respectively. These orbit the planet between 19 and 25 million kilometres.
Recently a small outer satellite has been discovered. A few newly discovered satellites are yet to be classified.
As seen from above the north pole of the Earth, most of the planets and satellites revolve in an anticlockwise direction. This is called Direct or Prograde Motion.
Some satellites revolve in a clockwise sense. This is called Retrograde Motion and is shown by the presence of a minus sign on the orbital period. Jupiter's outer satellites orbit in a retrograde sense. They are probably captured asteroids.
Ice-covered Europa and volcanically sulphurous Io are very reflective.