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Mar 22, 2024 · Here’s a trick question: How many moons does Earth have? And to be clear, I mean natural satellites, not human-made ones. I remind you, this is a trick question.
How many moons does Earth have? It’s a question with a very simple answer, and a more complex one. The simple answer is that Earth has only one moon, which we call “ the moon ”. It is the ...
NASA/Joel Kowsky. According to the NASA/JPL Solar System Dynamics team, the current tally of moons orbiting planets in our solar system is 293: One moon for Earth; two for Mars; 95 at Jupiter; 146 at Saturn; 28 at Uranus; 16 at Neptune; and five for dwarf planet Pluto. Astronomers also have documented more than 470 satellites, or moons ...
- A Lot of Moons Or No Moons at All?
- Mercury and Venus
- Mars
- Jupiter
- Saturn
- Uranus and Neptune
We on Earth have just one moon, but some planets have dozens of them. Others don’t have any. Which planets have moons, and which don’t? Let’s go in order from the Sun.
Up first are Mercury and Venus. Neither of them has a moon. Because Mercury is so close to the Sun and its gravity, it wouldn’t be able to hold on to its own moon. Any moon would most likely crash into Mercury or maybe go into orbit around the Sun and eventually get pulled into it. Why Venus doesn’t have a moon is a mystery for scientists to solve.
Marshas two moons. Their names are Phobos and Deimos. Don’t you wish our moon had a cool name like that?
Next are the giant outer planets. They have lots of moons. Jupiter, for instance, has 95 known moons! The most well-known of Jupiter's moons are Io (pronounced eye-oh), Europa, and Callisto. Jupiter also has the biggest moon in our solar system, Ganymede. These moons are so big you can see them with just a pair of binoculars.
As of June 8, 2023, Saturnhas 146 moons. And that’s not counting Saturn’s beautiful rings! Saturn’s moons have great names like Mimas, Enceladus, and Tethys. One of these moons, named Titan, even has its own atmosphere, which is very unusual for a moon.
Uranushas 28 known moons that we know of. Some of them are half made of ice. Lastly, Neptunehas 16 known moons. One of Neptune's moons, Triton, is as big as dwarf planet Pluto. To learn more about the moons in our solar system, visit the NASA Solar System Exploration moons page.
Jan 11, 2023 · The Earth is unique among the inner planets of our solar system for many reasons, one of which is the presence of a large moon. While Mercury and Venus do not have moons, and Mars has two tiny moons, the Earth’s moon stands out among the worlds of the inner solar system.
Mar 20, 2023 · How many moons does Earth have? News. By Donavyn Coffey. published 20 March 2023. To the naked eye, the night sky reveals only one moon. But how many moons have ever orbited Earth?
Jul 5, 2013 · But does the Earth have any other moons? Around the Solar System, multiple moons are the rule. Jupiter has 67 natural satellites, even Mars has two asteroid-like moons.
