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Alan Stern calls these satellite planets, although the term major moon is more common. The smallest natural satellite that is gravitationally rounded is Saturn I Mimas (radius 198.2 ± 0.4 km). This is smaller than the largest natural satellite that is known not to be gravitationally rounded, Neptune VIII Proteus (radius 210 ± 7 km).
The sizes and masses of many of the moons of Jupiter and Saturn are fairly well known due to numerous observations and interactions of the Galileo and Cassini orbiters; however, many of the moons with a radius less than ~100 km, such as Jupiter's Himalia, have far less certain masses. [5]
The outer planets Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, compared to the inner planets Earth, Venus, Mars, and Mercury at the bottom right The four outer planets, called giant planets or Jovian planets, collectively make up 99% of the mass orbiting the Sun. [ h ] All four giant planets have multiple moons and a ring system, although only Saturn's ...
Starting June 3, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune will dazzle the sky as they near each other in the solar system, giving stargazers something special to look at in the morning.
The planet will reach opposition on Sept. 21, around the time when it is closest to the Earth, but any cloud-free night will be optimal for spotting the planet after dark. Saturn is bright enough ...
A cloud of interplanetary dust is visible at night as a faint band called the zodiacal light. [130] Interplanetary space contains the magnetic field generated by the Sun. [124] There are magnetospheres generated by planets such as Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury and the Earth that have their own magnetic fields. These are shaped by the influence of ...
Six planets, seven dwarf planets, and other bodies have orbiting natural satellites, which are commonly called 'moons'. The Solar System is constantly flooded by the Sun's charged particles, the solar wind, forming the heliosphere. Around 75–90 astronomical units from the Sun, the solar wind is halted, resulting in the heliopause.
Four planets are set to align in April this year, ... Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune and Saturn. On Feb. 28, 2025, all planets will be on the same side of the sun for a great planetary alignment. ...