Insights Blog
-- Browse All Articles --
Physics Articles
Physics Tutorials
Physics Guides
Physics FAQ
Math Articles
Math Tutorials
Math Guides
Math FAQ
Education Articles
Education Guides
Bio/Chem Articles
Technology Guides
Computer Science Tutorials
Forums
Trending
Featured Threads
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Google search
: add "Physics Forums" to query
Search titles only
By:
Latest activity
Register
Menu
Log in
Register
Navigation
More options
Contact us
Close Menu
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Forums
Moons
Recent contents
View information
Top users
Description
A natural satellite, or moon, is, in the most common usage, an astronomical body that orbits a planet or minor planet (or sometimes another small Solar System body).
In the Solar System, there are six planetary satellite systems containing 205 known natural satellites.
IAU-listed dwarf planets are also known to have natural satellites: Pluto, Haumea, Makemake, and Eris. As of September 2018, there are 334 other minor planets known to have moons.A planet usually has at least around 10000 times the mass of any natural satellites that orbit it, with a correspondingly much larger diameter. The Earth–Moon system is the unique exception in the Solar System; at 3,474 km (2,158 miles) across, the Moon is 0.273 times the diameter of Earth. The next largest ratios are Neptune at 0.055, Saturn at 0.044, Jupiter at 0.038, and Uranus at 0.031. For the category of planetoids, among the five that are known in the Solar System, Charon has the largest ratio, being 0.52 the diameter of Pluto.
View More On Wikipedia.org
Forums
Back
Top