The Solar system is a magnificent space to be!
Our cosmos is unlimited and full of mystery. It reminds us of a treasure trove; you would never know what treasure you would find next. Now take an example of our home planet’s natural satellite, the moon. It is fascinating and spectacular not only to writers and poets but to scientist and astronauts too. Our space enthusiasts for ages wanted to explore the moon and know more about it. However, we achieved that dream in 1969 but still there so much to explore. Apart from the moon, there are about 200 natural satellite or “moons” in our solar system. Some of them are truly remarkable and fascinating. Here are some of the most spectacular moons in our solar system.
Ganymede
Ganymede is Jupiter’s largest satellite. It is huge, and when we say huge, it means it is bigger than Mercury. Surprisingly, Ganymede has its own magnetic field and also a thin atmosphere with oxygen. Experts believe that if it orbited Sun, then Ganymede would easily qualify as a planet.
Titan
Saturn’s very own Titan is a giant satellite and would also have classified as a planet. That is because it not only has an atmosphere but also has a weird “water cycle”. Before you start jumping up and down, believing it to be the second Earth, Titan is very cold to have liquid water. So, there the water cycle consists of liquid methane and ethane that falls into mountains, rivers and, in the end, submerges with the icy sea.
Io
One of Jupiter’s four “moons”, Io, is full of active volcanos. Io has a great gravitational force that makes its surface swell up and down to as high as 100m. That makes volcanos on its surface erupt all at once, sending the spurt of lava high in the space.
Phobos
It’s our very own red planet’s satellite. Phobos is a huge chunk of rock but what is interesting about it is that it would one day collide with its host planet. Scientists predict that about 50 million years later, it would crash into Mars and break apart.
Enceladus
You must have heard about geysers on our planet and how fascinating they are. Well, the Earth is not the only planet to have geysers. Saturn’s active satellite Enceladus is known for its geysers. However, it has an icy surface but has underground oceans beneath it. The geysers often spew ice particles and water vapours.
Which one of these do you find fascinating?
