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How were Jupiter's moons discovered?

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Most of the moons of Jupiter are small, with about 50 of the satellites being less than 6.2 miles in diameter. The number of moons changes fairly frequently, with 66 and 67 being confirmed at the end of 2011. read more

Simon Marius had independently discovered the moons one day after Galileo, although he did not publish his book on the subject until 1614. Even so, the names Marius assigned are used today: Ganymede; Callisto; Io; and Europa. No additional satellites were discovered until E. E. Barnard observed Amalthea in 1892. read more

Most of the moons were discovered in the late 1970s and later as a result of several explorations by automated spacecraft, including NASA’s Voyager in 1979 and Galileo in 1995. Not only is Jupiter the largest planet in the solar system, it is also the most massive at more than 300 times the mass of Earth. read more

The Galilean moons are the four largest moons of Jupiter—Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. They were first seen by Galileo Galilei in January 1610, and recognized by him as satellites of Jupiter in March 1610. read more

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