How many moons does Jupiter have?

Jupiter, the giant planet in the Solar System, is notable for its incredibly rich and diverse moon system.

Scientists have discovered dozens of moons orbiting the planet, but the answer to the question "How many moons does Jupiter have?" is not simple.

On October 14, NASA launched the Europa Clipper probe from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, towards Europa - one of Jupiter's most prominent moons.

Ganymede - Jupiter's largest moon - protrudes from behind the gas giant in this Hubble Space Telescope image. (Source: NASA).

Europa is covered in thick ice and has streams of liquid water under its surface. It is one of the places scientists have high hopes for its ability to support extraterrestrial life.

While Europa is unique, it is just one of Jupiter's many moons. According to the International Astronomical Union (IAU), the planet currently has 95 officially recognized moons, but the actual number is likely much higher.

Jupiter's four largest and most famous moons are the Galilean satellites , discovered by astronomer Galileo Galilei in 1610. They include:

1. Ganymede: The largest moon in the Solar System.
2. Callisto : Characterized by a surface full of ancient impact craters.
3. Io : The most volcanically active planet in the Solar System.
4. Europa: A leading candidate for the search for extraterrestrial life.

The four Galilean moons account for 99.97% of the total mass of all objects orbiting Jupiter, each of which is as large or larger than Earth's Moon. They also have thin atmospheres thanks to geological activities such as volcanoes and melting ice.

Other planets and the "Moon race"

Not only Jupiter, many other planets in the Solar System also possess amazing satellite systems . Saturn, Jupiter's neighbor, even has more moons than Jupiter.

As of 2023, Saturn holds the record with 146 recognized moons, the most prominent of which is Titan – a large moon with a dense atmosphere, clouds, rain, and lakes made of methane. Titan is also one of the places expected to have the ability to support extraterrestrial life, similar to Europa.

Future space missions, such as the Europa Clipper (which will begin studying Europa in 2030) or the Dragonfly probe (scheduled to reach Titan in 2034), will help us further explore these moons and the possibility of extraterrestrial life.

Astronomer Statia Cook from New York University commented: "Studying the moons of Jupiter and Saturn will help humanity take a big step forward in searching for signs of life in places beyond Earth."

In addition to the recognized large moons, Jupiter also has thousands of "mini-moons" – mostly asteroids and space debris – still orbiting the giant planet.