Natural Satellites Of The Solar System

Generally speaking all masses that are part of the solar system including the earth are satellites either of the sun or satellites of those objects such as the moon.

Natural satellites of the solar system.

A natural satellite or moon is an astronomical body that orbits a planet or minor planet or sometimes another small solar system body. The largest of these moons is ganymede which is one of the galilean moons. A natural satellite or moon is a celestial body that orbits a planet or smaller body which is called the primary. The moon has a very thin atmosphere called an exosphere.

Moons also known as natural satellites orbit planets and asteroids. The most well known natural satellite is the earth s moon. There are 185 known natural satellites in our solar system. In the solar system there are six planetary satellite systems containing 205 known natural satellites.

A majority of those moons belong to the planet of saturn the second most belonging to jupiter. Planets and asteroids in our solar system orbit the sun. Technically the term natural satellite could refer to a planet orbiting a star or a dwarf galaxy orbiting a major galaxy but it is normally synonymous with moon and used to identify non artificial satellites of planets dwarf planets and minor planets. The moon s distance from earth is about 240 000 miles 385 000km.

Four iau listed dwarf planets are also known to have natural satellites. In the solar system there are 219 satellites. Of these all are covered by a crust of ice except for earth s moon and io. The solar system s planets and its most likely dwarf planets are known to be orbited by at least 219 natural satellites or moons.

See more information on moons here. The moon s presence helps stabilize our planet s wobble which helps stabilize our climate. Most orbit the giant planets with saturn and jupiter leading moon counts but even smaller worlds like pluto can have five moons in orbit. The moon is earth s only natural satellite and the fifth largest moon in the solar system.

19 of them are large enough to be gravitationally rounded. Several of the largest ones are in hydrostatic equilibrium and would therefore be considered dwarf planets or planets if they. Moons come in many shapes sizes and types. The term moon is often synonymous to natural satellites as they are generally orbiting a planet.

A natural satellite or moon is in the most common usage an astronomical body that orbits a planet or minor planet or sometimes another small solar system body. Pluto haumea makemake and eris.