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m A natural satellite or moon is

a celestial
body that orbits a planet or
smaller body, which is called
its primary. The two terms are
used synonymously for non-
artificial satellites of
planets, dwarf planets, and minor
planets.
m As of July 2009, 336 bodies are
formally classified as moons.
They include 168 orbiting six of
the eight planets, 6 orbiting three
of the five dwarf planets,
104 asteroid moons, and 58
satellites of Trans-Neptunian
objects, some of which will likely
turn out to be dwarf planets.
m ome 150 additional small bodies
were observed within aturn's
ring system, but they were not
tracked long enough to establish
orbits. Planets around other stars
are likely to have natural
satellites as well, although none
have been observed.
m ïf the inner
planets, Mercury and Venus have no
moons; Earth has one large moon, known
as the Moon; and Mars has two tiny
moons, Photos and Demos. The large gas
giants have extensive systems of moons,
including half a dozen comparable in size
to Earth's moon: the four Galilean
moons, aturn's Titan,
and Neptune's Triton. aturn has an
additional six mid-sized moons massive
enough to have achieved hydrostatic
equilibrium, and Uranus has five.
m ãt has been suggested that a few
moons, notably Europa, one of
Jupiter's Galilean moons, may
harbour life, though there is
currently no direct evidence
to support this claim.
ïrigin
m The natural satellites orbiting
relatively close to the planet on
prograde orbits
(regular satellites) are generally
believed to have been formed out
of the same collapsing region of
the protoplanetary disk that
created its primary.
m ãn contrast, irregular
satellites (generally orbiting on
distant, inclined, eccentric and/or
retrograde orbits) are thought to
be captured asteroids possibly
further fragmented by collisions.
m The Earth's Moon and possibly
Charon are exceptions among large
bodies in that they are believed to
have originated by the collision of
two large proto-planetary objects
(see the giant impact hypothesis). The
material that would have been placed
in orbit around the central body is
predicted to have recreated to form
one or more orbiting moons.
m As opposed to planetary-sized
bodies, asteroid moons are
thought to commonly form by this
process. Triton is another
exception, which although large
and in a close, circular orbit, is
thought to be a captured dwarf
planet.
atellites of satellites
m No moons of moons (natural satellites
that orbit the natural satellite of another
body) are known. ãn most cases, the tidal
effects of the primary would make such a
system unstable. However, calculations
performed after the recent detection of a
possible ring system around aturn's
moon Rhea indicate that Rhea orbits
would be stable.
m ßurthermore, the suspected rings
are thought to be narrow, a
phenomenon normally associated
with shepherd moons.
Natural satellites of the olar
ystem
m he largest natural satellites in the
olar ystem (those bigger than
about 3000 km across) are
Earth's moon, Jupiter's Galilean
moons (ão, Europa, Ganymede,
and Callisto), aturn's
moon Titan, and Neptune's
captured moon Triton.
m ßor smaller moons see the
articles on the appropriate
planet. The moons of the various
planets there are also over 80
known moons of the dwarf
planets, asteroids and other small
solar system bodies. ome
studies estimate that up to 15% of
all trans-Neptunian objects could
have satellites.
m He following a comparative table
classifying the moons of the solar
system by diameter. The column on
the right includes some notable
planets, dwarf planets, asteroids, and
Trans-Neptunian ïbjects for
comparison. The moons of the
planets are named after mythological
figures.
m These are predominately Greek,
except for the Uranian moons, which
are named after hakespearean
characters. The nineteen bodies
massive enough to have
achieved hydrostatic equilibrium

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