Atlas · Jupiter
The moons of Jupiter
Jupiter has 115 known moons. Eight keep close, on neat circles above its equator. The other 107 are small captured bodies on wide, tilted loops, most of them going round backwards.
Drawing I
The four great moons
Jupiter and the orbits of Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto, to scale. The small square is the area of the second drawing.
The edge of the drawing is 2.05 million km from the centre of Jupiter.
Drawing II
Close in: the ring moons
The same view nine times larger. Metis and Adrastea share almost the same path at the outer edge of the main ring.
The edge of the drawing is 232,000 km from the centre of Jupiter.
Drawing III
The outer moons
All 107 outer moons, seen from above the plane of the planets. Steeply tilted orbits look narrower from above than they are. The small square in the middle is the whole of the first drawing.
The edge of the drawing is 35.5 million km from the centre of Jupiter.
How to read it
The close-in drawings look straight down on Jupiter’s north pole. The drawing of the outer moons looks down on the plane of the planets instead, because that is the plane those moons keep to. Jupiter is drawn to scale with the orbits. The moons are not: at this scale most would be far too small to see, so each is a dot.
- Solid dot. A spacecraft has mapped the whole surface.
- Half dot. A spacecraft has seen part of it.
- Ring. Never seen as more than a point of light.
- Pale line. Goes round the usual way, the way the planets go round the Sun: anticlockwise on these drawings.
- Amber line. Goes round backwards. 92 moons do.
- Broken line. The moon can be more than 10° from where we draw it. 61 orbits are like this. The pull of the Sun and of other moons keeps changing these paths, and a simple orbit cannot follow them exactly.
Nobody has measured the size of 106 of the 115. Each orbit is a slowly turning ellipse fitted to positions from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory for the years 2000 to 2040. The list gives how far out each fit can be. Touch a row to pick out its orbit.
The ring moons
4 moons
Four small moons inside Io’s orbit. Dust knocked off them makes Jupiter’s faint rings.
| Moon | Orbit size | One orbit | Tilt | Width | Found | See it in 3D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metis. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 0.11° | 128,000 km | 7.1 hours | 0.0° | 43 km | 1979 | Fly there |
| Adrastea. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 0.08° | 129,000 km | 7.2 hours | 0.0° | 16.4 km | 1979 | Fly there |
| Amalthea. Partly seen by spacecraft.drawn to within 0.08° | 181,400 km | 12 hours | 0.4° | 167 km | 1892 | Fly there |
| Thebe. Partly seen by spacecraft.drawn to within 0.06° | 221,900 km | 16.2 hours | 1.1° | 98.6 km | 1979 | Fly there |
The four great moons
4 moons
Found by Galileo in 1610. Each is a world in its own right, and Ganymede is larger than Mercury.
| Moon | Orbit size | One orbit | Tilt | Width | Found | See it in 3D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Io. Mapped by spacecraft.drawn to within 0.05° | 421,800 km | 42.5 hours | 0.0° | 3,643 km | 1610 | Fly there |
| Europa. Mapped by spacecraft.drawn to within 0.12° | 671,100 km | 3.55 days | 0.5° | 3,122 km | 1610 | Fly there |
| Ganymede. Mapped by spacecraft.drawn to within 0.32° | 1.07 million km | 7.15 days | 0.1° | 5,262 km | 1610 | Fly there |
| Callisto. Mapped by spacecraft.drawn to within 0.22° | 1.88 million km | 16.69 days | 0.4° | 4,821 km | 1610 | Fly there |
Themisto
1 moon
On its own, between the great moons and the rest.
| Moon | Orbit size | One orbit | Tilt | Width | Found | See it in 3D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Themisto. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 6° | 7.4 million km | 130 days | 45° | not measured | 1975 | Fly there |
The Himalia family
11 moons
Going the usual way round, about 11 to 12 million km out, tilted about 28°.
| Moon | Orbit size | One orbit | Tilt | Width | Found | See it in 3D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S/2011 J 4. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 4° | 11.1 million km | 240 days | 27° | not measured | 2011 | Fly there |
| Leda. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 7° | 11.1 million km | 241 days | 28° | not measured | 1974 | Fly there |
| Ersa. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 4° | 11.4 million km | 249 days | 31° | not measured | 2018 | Fly there |
| S/2018 J 2. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 5° | 11.4 million km | 250 days | 30° | not measured | 2018 | Fly there |
| Himalia. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 5° | 11.4 million km | 251 days | 29° | 170 km | 1904 | Fly there |
| Pandia. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 7° | 11.5 million km | 252 days | 28° | not measured | 2017 | Fly there |
| Lysithea. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 3° | 11.7 million km | 259 days | 27° | not measured | 1938 | Fly there |
| Elara. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 6° | 11.7 million km | 260 days | 30° | not measured | 1905 | Fly there |
| S/2011 J 3. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 7° | 11.7 million km | 260 days | 29° | not measured | 2011 | Fly there |
| S/2017 J 17. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 4° | 11.8 million km | 262 days | 28° | not measured | 2017 | Fly there |
| Dia. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 9° | 12.3 million km | 278 days | 27° | not measured | 2000 | Fly there |
The Carpo pair
2 moons
Two moons going the usual way round on orbits tilted about 50°.
| Moon | Orbit size | One orbit | Tilt | Width | Found | See it in 3D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S/2018 J 4. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 4° | 16.3 million km | 427 days | 52° | not measured | 2018 | Fly there |
| Carpo. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 30° | 17 million km | 457 days | 52° | not measured | 2003 | Fly there |
Valetudo
1 moon
Goes the usual way round, out where nearly everything else goes backwards, and crosses their paths.
| Moon | Orbit size | One orbit | Tilt | Width | Found | See it in 3D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valetudo. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 17° | 18.7 million km | 528 days | 33° | not measured | 2016 | Fly there |
The Ananke family
29 moons
Going round backwards, about 21 million km out, tilted about 148°.
| Moon | Orbit size | One orbit | Tilt | Width | Found | See it in 3D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Euporie. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 4° | 19.3 million km | 551 days | 146° | not measured | 2001 | Fly there |
| S/2003 J 18. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 8° | 20.3 million km | 598 days | 144° | not measured | 2003 | Fly there |
| Eupheme. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 15° | 20.8 million km | 618 days | 148° | not measured | 2003 | Fly there |
| S/2021 J 3. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 12° | 20.8 million km | 618 days | 149° | not measured | 2021 | Fly there |
| Harpalyke. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 15° | 20.8 million km | 623 days | 148° | not measured | 2000 | Fly there |
| Euanthe. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 11° | 20.8 million km | 620 days | 146° | not measured | 2001 | Fly there |
| S/2010 J 2. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 14° | 20.8 million km | 619 days | 149° | not measured | 2010 | Fly there |
| S/2016 J 1. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 14° | 20.8 million km | 618 days | 143° | not measured | 2016 | Fly there |
| Mneme. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 12° | 20.8 million km | 620 days | 150° | not measured | 2003 | Fly there |
| S/2003 J 16. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 18° | 20.9 million km | 623 days | 150° | not measured | 2003 | Fly there |
| S/2017 J 3. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 11° | 20.9 million km | 625 days | 148° | not measured | 2017 | Fly there |
| Orthosie. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 21° | 20.9 million km | 623 days | 145° | not measured | 2001 | Fly there |
| Helike. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 6° | 20.9 million km | 626 days | 155° | not measured | 2003 | Fly there |
| S/2021 J 2. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 15° | 20.9 million km | 625 days | 148° | not measured | 2021 | Fly there |
| Praxidike. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 11° | 20.9 million km | 625 days | 148° | not measured | 2000 | Fly there |
| S/2021 J 1. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 9° | 21 million km | 627 days | 150° | not measured | 2021 | Fly there |
| S/2003 J 12. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 13° | 21 million km | 627 days | 152° | not measured | 2003 | Fly there |
| S/2017 J 7. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 15° | 21 million km | 627 days | 147° | not measured | 2017 | Fly there |
| Thelxinoe. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 11° | 21 million km | 628 days | 149° | not measured | 2003 | Fly there |
| Thyone. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 15° | 21 million km | 627 days | 147° | not measured | 2001 | Fly there |
| S/2021 J 8. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 19° | 21 million km | 627 days | 148° | not measured | 2021 | Fly there |
| S/2003 J 2. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 13° | 21 million km | 629 days | 150° | not measured | 2003 | Fly there |
| S/2022 J 3. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 14° | 21 million km | 629 days | 147° | not measured | 2022 | Fly there |
| Ananke. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 16° | 21 million km | 630 days | 149° | not measured | 1951 | Fly there |
| Iocaste. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 6° | 21.1 million km | 632 days | 149° | not measured | 2000 | Fly there |
| S/2017 J 10. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 18° | 21.1 million km | 631 days | 144° | not measured | 2017 | Fly there |
| Hermippe. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 12° | 21.1 million km | 634 days | 149° | not measured | 2001 | Fly there |
| S/2010 J 6. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 15° | 21.5 million km | 651 days | 150° | not measured | 2010 | Fly there |
| S/2017 J 9. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 9° | 21.8 million km | 666 days | 155° | not measured | 2017 | Fly there |
The Carme family
41 moons
Going round backwards, about 23 million km out, tilted about 165°. The tightest family.
| Moon | Orbit size | One orbit | Tilt | Width | Found | See it in 3D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S/2016 J 3. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 8° | 22.7 million km | 714 days | 166° | not measured | 2016 | Fly there |
| S/2022 J 1. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 12° | 22.7 million km | 715 days | 165° | not measured | 2022 | Fly there |
| S/2010 J 4. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 13° | 22.8 million km | 717 days | 164° | not measured | 2010 | Fly there |
| S/2017 J 8. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 8° | 22.8 million km | 718 days | 165° | not measured | 2017 | Fly there |
| Pasithee. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 12° | 22.8 million km | 720 days | 165° | not measured | 2001 | Fly there |
| S/2017 J 13. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 8° | 22.8 million km | 720 days | 165° | not measured | 2017 | Fly there |
| S/2021 J 6. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 13° | 22.9 million km | 721 days | 165° | not measured | 2021 | Fly there |
| S/2003 J 24. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 10° | 22.9 million km | 722 days | 164° | not measured | 2003 | Fly there |
| S/2017 J 18. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 9° | 22.9 million km | 724 days | 166° | not measured | 2017 | Fly there |
| Chaldene. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 10° | 22.9 million km | 724 days | 164° | not measured | 2000 | Fly there |
| S/2017 J 2. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 9° | 22.9 million km | 725 days | 165° | not measured | 2017 | Fly there |
| Isonoe. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 7° | 23 million km | 726 days | 164° | not measured | 2000 | Fly there |
| S/2017 J 11. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 9° | 23 million km | 727 days | 164° | not measured | 2017 | Fly there |
| S/2017 J 16. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 10° | 23 million km | 728 days | 166° | not measured | 2017 | Fly there |
| Kallichore. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 7° | 23 million km | 728 days | 166° | not measured | 2003 | Fly there |
| S/2021 J 4. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 8° | 23 million km | 728 days | 164° | not measured | 2021 | Fly there |
| Erinome. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 7° | 23 million km | 729 days | 165° | not measured | 2000 | Fly there |
| Kale. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 14° | 23 million km | 730 days | 165° | not measured | 2001 | Fly there |
| Eirene. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 7° | 23.1 million km | 730 days | 164° | not measured | 2003 | Fly there |
| Aitne. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 12° | 23.1 million km | 730 days | 165° | not measured | 2001 | Fly there |
| Eukelade. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 11° | 23.1 million km | 730 days | 164° | not measured | 2003 | Fly there |
| S/2022 J 2. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 9° | 23.1 million km | 731 days | 166° | not measured | 2022 | Fly there |
| Arche. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 10° | 23.1 million km | 732 days | 165° | not measured | 2002 | Fly there |
| Taygete. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 11° | 23.1 million km | 732 days | 165° | not measured | 2000 | Fly there |
| S/2011 J 1. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 8° | 23.1 million km | 733 days | 164° | not measured | 2011 | Fly there |
| Carme. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 8° | 23.1 million km | 734 days | 164° | not measured | 1938 | Fly there |
| Herse. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 9° | 23.1 million km | 734 days | 165° | not measured | 2003 | Fly there |
| S/2003 J 19. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 10° | 23.2 million km | 735 days | 166° | not measured | 2003 | Fly there |
| S/2010 J 1. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 10° | 23.2 million km | 736 days | 165° | not measured | 2010 | Fly there |
| S/2003 J 9. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 9° | 23.2 million km | 737 days | 166° | not measured | 2003 | Fly there |
| S/2017 J 5. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 9° | 23.2 million km | 737 days | 166° | not measured | 2017 | Fly there |
| S/2011 J 6. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 9° | 23.2 million km | 739 days | 165° | not measured | 2011 | Fly there |
| S/2018 J 5. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 7° | 23.3 million km | 741 days | 164° | not measured | 2018 | Fly there |
| S/2017 J 12. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 8° | 23.3 million km | 741 days | 164° | not measured | 2017 | Fly there |
| Kalyke. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 8° | 23.3 million km | 742 days | 166° | not measured | 2000 | Fly there |
| S/2003 J 10. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 8° | 23.4 million km | 746 days | 164° | not measured | 2003 | Fly there |
| S/2018 J 3. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 9° | 23.4 million km | 747 days | 164° | not measured | 2018 | Fly there |
| S/2021 J 5. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 11° | 23.4 million km | 748 days | 164° | not measured | 2021 | Fly there |
| S/2024 J 1. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 12° | 23.5 million km | 750 days | 164° | not measured | 2024 | Fly there |
| S/2011 J 5. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 8° | 23.5 million km | 753 days | 166° | not measured | 2011 | Fly there |
| S/2010 J 5. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 12° | 23.6 million km | 756 days | 165° | not measured | 2010 | Fly there |
The Pasiphae family
22 moons
Going round backwards, 23 to 24 million km out. A looser group than the others.
| Moon | Orbit size | One orbit | Tilt | Width | Found | See it in 3D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philophrosyne. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 20° | 22.6 million km | 703 days | 146° | not measured | 2003 | Fly there |
| Eurydome. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 14° | 22.9 million km | 717 days | 150° | not measured | 2001 | Fly there |
| S/2011 J 2. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 22° | 22.9 million km | 718 days | 152° | not measured | 2011 | Fly there |
| S/2003 J 4. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 19° | 22.9 million km | 718 days | 148° | not measured | 2003 | Fly there |
| S/2016 J 4. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 17° | 23.1 million km | 727 days | 147° | not measured | 2016 | Fly there |
| S/2017 J 15. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 14° | 23.2 million km | 731 days | 150° | not measured | 2017 | Fly there |
| S/2017 J 6. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 24° | 23.3 million km | 734 days | 151° | not measured | 2017 | Fly there |
| S/2021 J 7. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 14° | 23.3 million km | 737 days | 150° | not measured | 2021 | Fly there |
| Hegemone. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 20° | 23.3 million km | 740 days | 153° | not measured | 2003 | Fly there |
| S/2017 J 14. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 22° | 23.4 million km | 739 days | 143° | not measured | 2017 | Fly there |
| Pasiphae. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 35° | 23.5 million km | 744 days | 149° | not measured | 1908 | Fly there |
| Sponde. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 25° | 23.5 million km | 748 days | 149° | not measured | 2001 | Fly there |
| Megaclite. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 32° | 23.6 million km | 753 days | 149° | not measured | 2000 | Fly there |
| Cyllene. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 39° | 23.7 million km | 752 days | 147° | not measured | 2003 | Fly there |
| Sinope. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 10° | 23.7 million km | 759 days | 158° | not measured | 1914 | Fly there |
| Aoede. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 28° | 23.8 million km | 762 days | 155° | not measured | 2003 | Fly there |
| Autonoe. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 16° | 23.8 million km | 761 days | 150° | not measured | 2001 | Fly there |
| Callirrhoe. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 17° | 23.8 million km | 759 days | 147° | not measured | 1999 | Fly there |
| S/2017 J 1. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 27° | 23.8 million km | 756 days | 146° | not measured | 2017 | Fly there |
| S/2003 J 23. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 21° | 23.8 million km | 760 days | 145° | not measured | 2003 | Fly there |
| S/2010 J 3. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 26° | 23.9 million km | 764 days | 150° | not measured | 2010 | Fly there |
| Kore. Seen only as a point of light.drawn to within 43° | 24.2 million km | 777 days | 141° | not measured | 2003 | Fly there |
Where this comes from
- NASA/JPL Solar System Dynamics, planetary satellites: orbits fitted to JPL Horizons positions, 2000 to 2040
- NASA/JPL, planetary satellite physical parameters
- NASA/JPL, planetary satellite discovery circumstances
- NASA NSSDC, Jupiter rings fact sheet
Orbit size is the average distance from the centre of Jupiter. Tilt is measured from Jupiter’s equator for the close moons and from the plane of the planets for the far ones, and above 90° means the moon goes round backwards. The families of outer moons are groups on similar orbits. Where one family ends and the next begins is not agreed, and the lines here are ours.