GANYMEDE (JUPITER MOON)

On Dec. 28, 2000, NASA’s Galileo spacecraft discovered auroras on Ganymede, Jupiter’s largest moon. Galileo launched in 1989 on a mission to study Jupiter and its moons. It also flew by Venus and Earth on its way there. The spacecraft flew by Ganymede several times while it was in orbit around Jupiter. During this particular flyby, it was looking for auroras. Ganymede was in Jupiter’s shadow at the time, which made it easier for Galileo to see the faint auroras because there was no sunlight. So Galileo was in the right place at the right time, and it successfully spotted auroras on the moon. The spacecraft has also made other incredible discoveries in Ganymede, like the fact that it has a magnetic field. No other moon was known to have a magnetic field at the time. Galileo even found evidence of a liquid saltwater ocean beneath the moon’s crust and a thin atmosphere.

An exploration into the subsurface oceans of Jupiter's moon Ganymede. www.patreon.com/johnmichaelgodier Papers: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?release=2014-138 "Ganymede׳s internal structure including thermodynamics of magnesium sulfate oceans in contact with ice", Vance et al, 2014 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0032063314000695?via%3Dihub Music: Cylinder Seven by Chris Zabriskie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Source: http://chriszabriskie.com/cylinders/ Artist: http://chriszabriskie.com/

Jupiter's moon Ganymede, the largest moon in the solar system, has a rich and intricate geologic history. Roughly two billion years ago, tectonic forces shifted chunks of the moon’s crust, producing extensive faults and ridges that stretched across its icy plains. Other landforms were created over the past four billion years, including legions of craters formed from bombardment by asteroids, meteoroids and comets. Using images collected by NASA's Voyager and Galileo spacecraft, scientists examined nearly every square mile of Ganymede—a sphere bigger than the planet Mercury—and generated a color-coded map that visualizes the age and type of material found on its surface. Watch the video to see a colorful new view of this distant world. The new map will provide insights into the events and processes that shaped how Ganymede looks today. Learn more about Ganymede at http://www.spacetv.net/ganymede-jupiter-moon/ Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center / USGS Astrogeology Science Center/Wheaton/ASU/NASA/JPL-Caltech

This is a clip I created a little over a year ago.. just found it in the archive and decided to release it, cause why not? It's about 2-3 hours of tracking Jupiter and it's moons on the Nexstar8 and Sony a6000. I didn't note it in the video, but I have it playing 3 times in a row, each at different speeds. Rock out!

One day it will be an amazing scientific accomplishment when we colonize and bring life to a moon like Saturn's icy Enceladus. Subscribe for new videos weekly! 5. Triton Photographs and data sent back from the Voyager 2 spacecraft back in August of 1989 showed that the surface of Triton, Neptune’s largest moon, was made up of nitrogen ice and rock. The suspicion of liquid water being hidden beneath the surface was raised. Even though the moon has an atmosphere, it would be pretty much the same as if it didn’t have one because of how thin it is. The average temperature on the moon is an unbelievable -391 degrees Fahrenheit, making it the coldest body in the entirety of our solar system. 4. Mimas Also known as the “Death Star” moon and for good reason. Mimas is one of Saturn’s icy and rocky moons. Mimas might have an ocean located beneath its cold and unwelcoming -looking surface, which may possibly be better adapted for life. Close study of the Cassini footage by scientists shows that Mimas looks to rock back and forth as it went around on its orbit. This could imply activity underneath its surface. However, scientists were very wary with what they found, stating that there hadn’t been any other signs that point to geological activity. They merely stated that if an ocean was discovered, the moon could definitely be a candidate for being colonized. It’s believed that the theoretical ocean would be about 15 to 18 miles below the surface. If the rocking movement that supports this theory of an ocean proves to be false, then the movement is mostly likely because of a misshapen core due to the strong gravitational pull caused by Saturn’s rings 3. Callisto Exactly the same size as the planet Mercury, Callisto is Jupiter’s second largest moon that looks like it has a large liquid ocean hidden within its icy surface. The surface of Callisto mainly made up of craters and what are basically fields of ice. Callisto also has a relatively thin atmosphere consisting of carbon dioxide. Research that already been performed has suggested that this atmosphere is being filled up again and again by carbon dioxide that is released from below the surface because it is too thin to stay in place. Collected data implies the chance that oxygen could also be actively present inside of the atmosphere, but there would need to be further tests to confirm if this theory holds true. Callisto is positioned in a safe enough space from Jupiter that the giant planet’s radiation levels would be very mild. 2. Ganymede Ganymede happens to be Jupiter’s largest moon and like other masses, in our solar system, it could potentially prove to have water trapped underneath its surface. If you were to compare it to other ice-covered moons, Ganymede’s surface is believed to be relatively thin and should be much easier to break through. This moon also happens to be the only moon with its own gravitational field that creates its own auroras, like the ones that are produced here on earth. Their pattern in movement also leads scientists to theorize there is an ocean trapped underneath the surface. Because of Ganymede’s thin oxygen atmosphere, it is too thin to support our life but maybe enough to support terraforming. Back in 2012, the European Space Agency got the okay to go ahead and launch a mission to go and explore Ganymede and two other of Jupiter’s moons, Europa and Callisto. The operation is scheduled to launch in 2022 and reach the moon 10 years later. Out of the three moons to be explored, scientists believe that Ganymede will have the best environment to study and potentially support life, if possible. 1. The Moon The first moon that mankind would colonate would, of course, be the earth’s very own moon. It’s been described as a good “dress rehearsal” for potential colonization missions in the future because of how close it is to earth compared to all the other moons. Earlier in March of this year, there was a story that was going around that this type of operation could be carried out within the next 10 years or so. NASA astrobiologist Chris McKay is one of the individuals whose onboard with making this mission come to fruition. His opinion is that other missions to the moon have failed because of the high cost, but his team has a plan that requires little compared to previous missions. Although NASA’s current focus is to get humans to land on Mars, McKay says that that won’t come to light until they can first get to the moon and set up permanent bases there first.

This is an animation of a double transit of 2 satellites (moons) of Jupiter : Io and Ganymede. Their shadows are also cleraly visible on the planet. Captured using a telescope Skywatcher 150/750 on a Neq3-2 mount and a webcam Logitech C270 No impact was detected over Jupiter. 16-04-2016 from Tunis, Tunisia

Jupiter. Telescope Meade LX200 16" ACF 2016/03/16

20h45 -21h45 UT Mornag Tunisia Newton Skywatcher BD 150/750mm HEQ5 pro QHY5L iic Barlow x2 ultima celestron Firecapture, AS!2, Registax6, Virtualdub

Shot with a Canon SX220HS afocally through an eyepiece in my 11cm Newton.

During the Galileo probe's exploration of Jupiter and its moons, readings of Ganymede's magnetic field appeared to support theories that a vast ocean is hidden beneath the icy crust of the large moon. Recent studies conducted by the Hubble Space Telescope have provided additional data to support the idea that large amounts of liquid water lie beneath the surface. Is it possible that life could dwell in these dark seas? Where would we most likely find it? NASA'S UNEXPLAINED FILES Tuesdays 10/9c on Science http://www.sciencechannel.com/tv-shows/nasas-unexplained-files/ Watch full episodes: https://www.discoverygo.com/nasas-unexplained-files/ http://bit.ly/NASAsUnexplainedFiles Subscribe to Science Channel: http://bit.ly/SubscribeScience Jupiter's Moon Ganymede Has a Salty Ocean with More Water than Earth: http://www.space.com/28807-jupiter-moon-ganymede-salty-ocean.html#sthash.21Uv962a.dpuf Check out SCI2 for infinitely awesome science videos. Every day. http://bit.ly/SCI2YT Download the TestTube app: http://testu.be/1ndmmMq

Before moving on from Jupiter to Saturn, we’re going to linger for a moment on Jupiter’s moons. There are 67 known moons, and 4 huge ones that we want to explore in greater detail. Ganymede is the largest - larger, in fact, than any other moon in the solar system and the planet Mercury! Callisto, orbiting the farthest out, is smaller but quite similar to Ganymede in many ways. Io, meanwhile, is most noteworthy for its tremendous volcanic activity. There’s also water on Ganymede and Europa! This episode was brought to you by Squarespace http://www.squarespace.com/crashcourse -- Table of Contents Jupiter Has 67 Moons (4 Big Ones) 0:12 Ganymede is the Largest 1:15 Io is Riddled With Volcanoes 3:16 Europa Has an Undersurface Ocean 4:48 Io, Europa, and Ganymede Interact Gravitationally 3:48 Known Unknowns 8:06 -- PBS Digital Studios: http://youtube.com/pbsdigitalstudios Follow Phil on Twitter: https://twitter.com/badastronomer Want to find Crash Course elsewhere on the internet? Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/YouTubeCrashCourse Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/TheCrashCourse Tumblr - http://thecrashcourse.tumblr.com Support CrashCourse on Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/crashcourse -- PHOTO/VIDEO SOURCES Galileo’s notebook http://hos.ou.edu/exhibits/exhibit.php?exbid=4 [credit: Image(s) courtesy History of Science Collections, University of Oklahoma Libraries; copyright the Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma.] Jupiter’s moons http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/jpeg/PIA00600.jpg [credit: NASA/JPL/DLR] Ganymede http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a011100/a011173/Image4_1920x1080.jpg [credit: NASA/JPL/Ted Stryk] Interior of Ganymede https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:PIA00519_Interior_of_Ganymede.jpg [credit: Wikimedia Commons / NASA] Ganymede terrain https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ganymede_terrain.jpg [credit: Wikimedia Commons / NASA] Artist Conception of Ganymede http://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/hubbles-view-of-ganymede-briefing-materials/ (Figure 5) [credit: NASA/ESA] Callisto http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/jpeg/PIA03456.jpg [credit: NASA/JPL/DLR] Interior of Callisto https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Callisto_(moon)#/media/File:PIA01478_Interior_of_Callisto.jpg [credit: Wikimedia Commons / NASA] Valhalla crater on Callisto https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Valhalla_crater_on_Callisto.jpg [credit: Wikimedia Commons / NASA / JPL] Io http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a011400/a011455/s1-1920.jpg [credit: NASA/JPL/USGS] Io volcano image http://solarviews.com/browse/jup/ioplumedisc.jpg [credit: NASA/JPL] Io eruption video http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a011400/a011455/IO_Eruption-540-MASTER_high.mp4 [credit: NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute] Io surface http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a011400/a011455/s2-1204.jpg [credit: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona] Jupiter Magnetosphere Schema https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Io_(moon)#/media/File:Jupiter_magnetosphere_schematic.jpg [credit: Wikimedia Commons / Volcanopele] Jupiter aurora http://www.spacetelescope.org/static/archives/images/large/heic0009a.jpg [credit: NASA, ESA & John T. Clarke (Univ. of Michigan)] Europa http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/jpeg/PIA19048.jpg [credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SETI Institute] Europa ocean http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/1205/EuropasOcean_KPHand003.jpg [credit: NASA/JPL/Kevin Hand Habitable zone diagram http://www.keckobservatory.org/images/made/images/gallery/solar_system/Slides-8_1800_1350.jpg [credit: PETIGURA/UC BERKELEY, HOWARD/UH-MANOA, MARCY/UC BERKELEY] Amalthea http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/jpeg/PIA02532.jpg [c redit: NASA/JPL/Cornell University]

Astronomers have discovered a mysterious bulge on Jupiter’s largest moon Ganymede which could be evidence of polar wander. A large bulge has been discovered in the equatorial region of Ganymede, Jupiter’s largest moon.  Scientists believe this could be an indication of a phenomenon known as true polar wander, where a mass shifts to correct a weight imbalance in relation to the rotational spin of the planet, or in this case, moon.  The area is quite large, measuring 375 miles wide and almost two miles tall, and is thought to be made of thick ice.   One of the few places that could develop such a large mass without the involvement of other geological factors is at the poles where conditions are constantly cold.  The hypothesis is that the ice became big and heavy enough to drag the moon’s outer shell downward until it arrived at its current spot around the equator.   Water would be needed to enable this sliding motion between the crust and interior, and a recent study suggests Ganymede does indeed have a subsurface ocean.  Astronomers hope to determine if the opposite side of the moon also has a bulge which would confirm that they likely did form at the poles.  True polar wander has been studied on our own planet as well as other solar system bodies, and is considered a possibility on the dwarf planet Ceres.

Which is a bigger deal to you? The discovery that there’s probably more water on Jupiter’s moon Ganymede than all the oceans on Earth? Or the fact that you can now help NASA find asteroids? Learn about both, then decide for yourself! http://www.topcoder.com/asteroids/asteroiddatahunter/ ---------- Like SciShow? Want to help support us, and also get things to put on your walls, cover your torso and hold your liquids? Check out our awesome products over at DFTBA Records: http://dftba.com/SciShow Or help support us by becoming our patron on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/scishow ---------- Looking for SciShow elsewhere on the internet? Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/scishow Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/scishow Tumblr: http://scishow.tumblr.com Instagram: http://instagram.com/thescishow Annotations: Asteroids to Watch Out For:https://youtu.be/GKF3huDtM64 Space Mining: https://youtu.be/GKF3huDtM64 The Solar Eclipse of 2015!: https://youtu.be/9YVMEuoXWWQ An Impossible Black Hole, and Finally Meeting Ceres: https://youtu.be/rzAEeROl3rw Sources: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2014JA020778/abstract http://www.nasa.gov/press/2015/march/nasa-s-hubble-observations-suggest-underground-ocean-on-jupiters-largest-moon/#.VQXX2o54q1s http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/jupiter-s-moon-ganymede-has-salty-ocean-with-more-water-than-earth/ http://spaceflightnow.com/2015/03/13/hubble-observations-reveal-ocean-on-ganymede/ http://earthsky.org/space/underground-ocean-on-jupiters-largest-moon http://www.nasa.gov/press/2014/march/be-an-asteroid-hunter-in-nasas-first-asteroid-grand-challenge-contest-series/#.VQbrX454q1t http://www.nasa.gov/press/2015/march/new-desktop-application-has-potential-to-increase-asteroid-detection-now-available/#.VQZX7I54q1s

NASA announced that it has evidence that Jupiter’s moon Ganymede, the largest moon in our solar system, has a vast ocean lurking underneath its icy crust. WSJ's Monika Auger reports. Photo: USGS/Wheaton/NASA/JPL-Caltech Subscribe to the WSJ channel here: http://bit.ly/14Q81Xy Visit the WSJ channel for more video: https://www.youtube.com/wsjdigitalnetwork More from the Wall Street Journal: Visit WSJ.com: http://online.wsj.com/home-page Follow WSJ on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/wsjlive Follow WSJ on Google+: https://plus.google.com/+wsj/posts Follow WSJ on Twitter: https://twitter.com/WSJLive Follow WSJ on Instagram: http://instagram.com/wsj Follow WSJ on Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/wsj/ Follow WSJ on Tumblr: http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/wall-street-journal Don’t miss a WSJ video, subscribe here: http://bit.ly/14Q81Xy More from the Wall Street Journal: Visit WSJ.com: http://www.wsj.com Visit the WSJ Video Center: https://wsj.com/video On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/wsj/videos/ On Twitter: https://twitter.com/WSJ On Snapchat: https://on.wsj.com/2ratjSM

This is a video clip of what Ganymede looks like, based on images from NASA's Galileo orbiter. The US Geological Survey has classified the surface of Ganymede into the types of terrain. The brown regions are those that are heavily cratered and much older than the light shaded regions that are smoother with few craters. These lighter shaded regions are believed to be formed by flooding of the surface with water coming from faults or even cryo-volcanos that have taken place over billions of years. Perhaps even tectonic processes are at work with some crustal ice sheets being forced downward by the emergence of newer icy material. Over 8 years at Jupiter Galileo spacecraft made 6 close flyby of the Ganymede and detected a magnetic field coming from the moon itself. In addition, the best models of Ganymede from the Galileo data showed a deep ocean under a thick ice crust. Ganymede is the largest moon in our solar system and the only moon with its own magnetic field. The magnetic field causes aurorae, which are ribbons of glowing, hot electrified gas, in regions circling the north and south poles of the moon. Because Ganymede is close to Jupiter, it is also embedded in Jupiter’s magnetic field. When Jupiter’s magnetic field changes, the aurorae on Ganymede also change, 'rocking' back and forth. By watching the rocking motion of the two aurorae, scientists were able to determine that a large amount of saltwater exists beneath Ganymede’s crust affecting its magnetic field.

NASA has announced that Jupiter's largest moon, Ganymede, has a saltwater ocean under its icy surface. Report by Claire Lomas.

Space may be a water wonderland after all, as NASA announced that yet another moon has been found to be housing an ocean beneath its exterior crust. Space may be a water wonderland after all, as NASA announced that yet another moon has been found to be housing an ocean beneath its exterior crust.  This time around it’s Jupiter’s largest satellite, Ganymede, that’s shown evidence of containing a massive liquid body. Information gathered by astronomers indicates that there’s a very large saltwater ocean in the celestial body and it’s located just beneath its outermost icy layer.  The discovery came as a result of observations made with NASA’s Hubble telescope combined with existing knowledge of the orb’s unique properties.  Ganymede is the only moon in the solar system that has a magnetic field of its own.  That field produces strips of glowing gas, or aurorae, that move back and forth when there are changes in the magnetic activities of its parent planet.  By keeping a close eye on such shifts, the researchers were able to determine that there was another element at play in the motions, one that seemed to be lessening the influence of Jupiter’s pull.  The one that makes the most sense is water, and particularly a vast ocean of the salt variety.  Its existence significantly raises the possibility that there could be life forms there.

Ganymede, Jupiter's largest moon, had been long predicted to have an underground ocean and observations with Hubble Space Telescope found the best evidence so far. By monitoring aurorae glowing above Ganymede's surface, researchers traced the moon's magnetic field. Observations suggest a large amount of saltwater beneath Ganymede's crust, affecting its magnetic field. The ocean is estimated to be buried under a 150 kilometer crust of mostly ice and have a depth of 100 kilometers. Credit: Joachim Saur, Stefan Duling, Lorenz Roth, Xianzhe Jia, Darrell F. Strobel, Paul D. Feldman, Ulrich R. Christensen, Kurt D. Retherford, Melissa A. McGrath, Fabrizio Musacchio, Alexandre Wennmacher, Fritz M. Neubauer, Sven Simon, Oliver Hartkorn. The Search for a Subsurface Ocean in Ganymede with Hubble Space Telescope Observations of its Auroral Ovals. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, 2015; DOI: 10.1002/2014JA020778 NASA, ESA, and G. Bacon (STScI) NASA, ESA, and J. Saur (University of Cologne, Germany) NASA, JPL, and the Galileo Project NASA, ESA, and A. Feild (STScI) NASA, USGS

This is a video clip of what Ganymede looks like, based on images from NASA's Galileo orbiter. The US Geological Survey has classified the surface of Ganymede into the types of terrain. The brown regions are those that are heavily cratered and much older than the light shaded regions that are smoother with few craters. These lighter shaded regions are believed to be formed by flooding of the surface with water coming from faults or even cryo-volcanos that have taken place over billions of years. Perhaps even tectonic processes are at work with some crustal ice sheets being forced downward by the emergence of newer icy material. Over 8 years at Jupiter Galileo spacecraft made 6 close flyby of the Ganymede and detected a magnetic field coming from the moon itself. In addition, the best models of Ganymede from the Galileo data showed a deep ocean under a thick ice crust. Credit: NASA, USGS

Ganymede /ˈɡænɨmiːd/ (Jupiter III) is a satellite of Jupiter and the largest moon in the Solar System. It is the seventh moon and third Galilean satellite outward from Jupiter. Completing an orbit in roughly seven days, Ganymede participates in a 1:2:4 orbital resonance with the moons Europa and Io, respectively. It has a diameter of 5,268 km (3,273 mi), 8% larger than that of the planet Mercury, but has only 45% of the latter's mass. Its diameter is 2% larger than that of Saturn's Titan, the second largest moon. It also has the highest mass of all planetary satellites, with 2.02 times the mass of the Earth's moon. Ganymede is composed of approximately equal amounts of silicate rock and water ice. It is a fully differentiated body with an iron-rich, liquid core, and it might have ice and oceans stacked up in several layers. Its surface is composed of two main types of terrain. Dark regions, saturated with impact craters and dated to four billion years ago, cover about a third of the satellite. Lighter regions, crosscut by extensive grooves and ridges and only slightly less ancient, cover the remainder. The cause of the light terrain's disrupted geology is not fully known, but was likely the result of tectonic activity brought about by tidal heating. This video is targeted to blind users. Attribution: Article text available under CC-BY-SA Creative Commons image source in video

Subscribe Now: http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=ehoweducation Watch More: http://www.youtube.com/ehoweducation Jupiter's moon, Ganymede, has an exosphere and an exosphere. Find out if Jupiter's moon, Ganymede, has an atmosphere with help from an experienced educator in this free video clip. Expert: Eylene Pirez Filmmaker: bjorn wilde Series Description: If you want to learn more about our solar system, the first thing you have to do involves observation. Learn about outer space, planets and moons with help from an experienced educator in this free video series.

Moonrise: The Surprisingly Diverse Array of Moons in our Solar System Dr. Bonnie Meinke, Space Telescope Science Institute Earth's Moon is so familiar to us, yet there are hundreds of other moons in our solar system that still remain exotic. Take a journey from our Moon to the weird and wonderful collection of moons across interplanetary space. Explore volcanoes, oceans, and clouds that make these distant worlds much more recognizable than one might have guessed. And consider how these familiar geologic features could create ideal conditions for life to take hold and flourish! Host: Dr. Frank Summers Recorded live on May 6, 2014 at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, MD, USA For more information: http://hubblesite.org/about_us/public_talks/

The largest moon in our solar system, a companion to Jupiter named Ganymede, might have ice and oceans stacked up in several layers like a club sandwich, according to new NASA-funded research that models the moon's makeup. Previously, the moon was thought to harbour a thick ocean sandwiched between just two layers of ice, one on top and one on bottom. The results support the idea that primitive life might have possibly arisen on the icy moon. Scientists say that places where water and rock interact are important for the development of life; for example, it's possible life began on Earth in bubbling vents on our sea floor. Prior to the new study, Ganymede's rocky sea bottom was thought to be coated with ice, not liquid -- a problem for the emergence of life. The 'club sandwich' findings suggest otherwise: the first layer on top of the rocky core might be salty water. NASA scientists first suspected an ocean in Ganymede in the 1970s, based on models of the large moon, which is bigger than Mercury. In the 1990s, NASA's Galileo mission flew by Ganymede, confirming the moon's ocean, and showing it extends to depths of hundreds of miles. The spacecraft also found evidence for salty seas, likely containing the salt magnesium sulfate. Previous models of Ganymede's oceans assumed that salt didn't change the properties of liquid very much with pressure. Vance and his team showed, through laboratory experiments, how much salt really increases the density of liquids under the extreme conditions inside Ganymede and similar moons. It may seem strange that salt can make the ocean denser, but you can see for yourself how this works by adding plain old table salt to a glass of water. Rather than increasing in volume, the liquid shrinks and becomes denser. This is because the salt ions attract water molecules. The models get more complicated when the different forms of ice are taken into account. The ice that floats in your drinks is called 'Ice I'. It's the least dense form of ice and lighter than water. But at high pressures, like those in crushingly deep oceans like Ganymede's, the ice crystal structures become more compact. By modeling these processes using computers, the team came up with an ocean sandwiched between up to three ice layers, in addition to the rocky seafloor. The lightest ice is on top, and the saltiest liquid is heavy enough to sink to the bottom. What's more, the results demonstrate a possible bizarre phenomenon that causes the oceans to 'snow upwards'. As the oceans churn and cold plumes snake around, ice in the uppermost ocean layer, called 'Ice III', could form in the seawater. When ice forms, salts precipitate out. The heavier salts would thus fall downward, and the lighter ice, or 'snow', would float upward. This 'snow' melts again before reaching the top of the ocean, possibly leaving slush in the middle of the moon sandwich. Ganymede is one of five moons in our solar system thought to support vast oceans beneath icy crusts. The other moons are Jupiter's Europa and Callisto and Saturn's Titan and Enceladus. The European Space Agency is developing a space mission, called JUpiter ICy moons Explorer or JUICE, to visit Europa, Callisto and Ganymede in the 2030s.

Solar Systems Largest Moon GANYMEDE of JUPITER Mapped by NASA. Can it Become HABITABLE The largest moon in the solar system has finally received its cartographic due. Scientists have created the first global geological map of Jupiter's huge, ice-covered moon Ganymede, more than 400 years after its discovery by Galileo Galilei. The map, created using observations by NASA's twin Voyager probes and Galileo orbiter, highlights the varied terrain of Ganymede, which is bigger than the planet Mercury. To present the best information in a single view of Jupiter's moon Ganymede, a global image mosaic was assembled, incorporating the best available imagery from NASA's Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft and NASA's Galileo spacecraft. This image shows Ganymede centered at 200 west longitude. This mosaic (right) served as the base map for the geologic map of Ganymede (left). "This map illustrates the incredible variety of geological features on Ganymede and helps to make order from the apparent chaos of its complex surface," Robert Pappalardo, of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., said in a statement. "This map is helping planetary scientists to decipher the evolution of this icy world and will aid in upcoming spacecraft observations." [Watch the video animation of the 1st full map of Jupiter's giant moon Ganymede] The new map, which was published by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), could also help scientists plan out the search for alien life, researchers said. "After Mars, the interiors of icy satellites of Jupiter are considered the best candidates for habitable environments for life in our solar system," USGS Astrogeology Science Center director Laszlo Kestay said in a statement. "This geologic map will be the basis for many decisions by NASA and partners regarding future U.S. missions under consideration to explore these worlds." Observations of Jupiter's largest moon made since its discovery in 1610 have revealed many features and facts about Ganymede over the centuries. They show that the 3,273-mile-wide (5,268 kilometers) moon possesses dark, heavily cratered terrain as well as lighter, younger regions marked by many grooves and ridges. ganymede A geologic map of Jupiter's largest moon Ganymede is superimposed over a global color mosaic of the Galilean moon made of images from NASA's Voyager 1, 2 and Galileo spacecraft. The moon's features have been shaped during three major geologic periods — one dominated by impact cratering, then another marked by lots of tectonic activity and finally a third in which this activity tapered off, scientists said. "The highly detailed, colorful map confirmed a number of outstanding scientific hypotheses regarding Ganymede's geologic history, and also disproved others," said Baerbel Lucchitta, scientist emeritus at the USGS in Flagstaff, Ariz. "For example, the more detailed Galileo images showed that cryovolcanism, or the creation of volcanoes that erupt water and ice, is very rare on Ganymede." Voyager 1 and 2 flew by Ganymede in 1979 during their unprecedented solar system "grand tour," then kept on going all the way toward interstellar space (which Voyager 1 entered in August 2012). The Galileo probe studied Ganymede and many other members of the Jovian system while orbiting Jupiter from 1995 through 2003. You can download a high-resolution copy of the new Ganymede geologic map for free at the USGS website here: http://pubs.usgs.gov/sim/3237/

Ganymede egress / Схождение Ганимеда 2014/01/18 15:56 - 16:11UT TAL-125APO, QHY5L-II-C

Jupiter and moons in a line. live video sequence through telescope (102/1300) and post processed image - 01/05/2014 Jupiter und Monde in einer Reihe. Live Video-Aufnahme mittels Teleskop (102/1300) und nachträglich editiertes Bild - 05.01.2014

For more on the Galileo mission: http://news.discovery.com/space/history-of-space/remembering-galileos-triumphs-130920.htm http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/galileo/ (I'll try and remember to post more once the government resumes business and more NASA sites come back online!) Find more space and spaceflight history from my website: http://amyshirateitel.com Connect on Facebook, Google+, and Twitter as @astVintageSpace

View from the European Space Agency's JUICE (Jupiter Icy Moon Explorer) spacecraft as it enters orbit around Jupiter's largest moon Ganymede in 2031. This movie is in 3D for viewing with Red-Cyan glasses.

In spite of its completely frozen surface, water lies below on Europa, Jupiter's mysterious moon, and researchers believe there may be life in those oceans, regardless of the thin atmosphere and temperatures twice as cold as Antarctica.

Io and Ganymede Transit Jupiter 10 Jan 2013 Jupiter Events from 10 Jan 2013 to 11 Jan 2013 (I = IO, II = Europa, III = Ganymede, IV = Calisto) Time (UT) Sat Event --------- --- ----- 2013 Jan 10 09:50 n/a Great Red Spot transit 2013 Jan 10 19:03 III Transit start 2013 Jan 10 19:28 I Transit start 2013 Jan 10 19:46 n/a Great Red Spot transit 2013 Jan 10 20:23 I Shadow transit start 2013 Jan 10 21:07 III Transit end 2013 Jan 10 21:39 I Transit end 2013 Jan 10 22:35 I Shadow transit end 2013 Jan 10 22:40 III Shadow transit start 2013 Jan 11 00:52 III Shadow transit end 2013 Jan 11 05:41 n/a Great Red Spot transit 2013 Jan 11 09:38 II Transit start 2013 Jan 11 11:28 II Shadow transit start 2013 Jan 11 12:02 II Transit end 2013 Jan 11 13:53 II Shadow transit end 2013 Jan 11 15:37 n/a Great Red Spot transit 2013 Jan 11 16:48 I Occultation disappearance 2013 Jan 11 19:54 I Eclipse reappearance 2013 Jan 12 01:33 n/a Great Red Spot transit Music: Earthlight by Ryan Shore

Perhaps as old as the Solar System itself, Ganymede -- the largest moon of any planet -- is the only moon known to have a magnetic field.

Developed by Solar System Visualization Program for a press conference on June 6, 1990, presented by Dr. Edward Stone. Includes: VOYAGER -- A RETROSPECTIVE, 4:23 (Stand-alone production with narration) This production was produced to depict the success of the Voyager spacecrafts as demonstrated by the data that was beamed back from the most distant corners of our solar system. From Voyager 1's vantage point a rare opportunity was seized, as the spacecraft photographed our solar system. The following segments are recent manipulations of Voyager data (music only): THE SOLAR SYSTEM, 2:47 VOYAGER 1 AND 2 OUTER PLANET ATMOSPHERES, 3:26 SHALLOW WATER MODEL, 1:15 NEPTUNE'S ATMOSPHERE, 1:50 NEPTUNE KIDA VORTEX MODEL, 0:53 NEPTUNE'S CRESCENT, 2:00 MAGNETIC FIELD OF JUPITER, 0:29 MAGNETIC FIELD OF URANUS, 0:53 EARTH'S MOON, 1:14 GANYMEDE, 0:42 ENCELADUS, 0:36 TRITON, 1:11 IO, 1:23 THE SOLAR SYSTEM, 2:47

Ganymede Transit Jupiter & Io Solar Eclipse 19 May 2012 at around midday

At least 5 moons in the Outer Solar System could harbor life, says Dr. Randii Wessen from JPL. He discusses the search for life in the Outer Solar System and beyond.

Jupiter's Moon Ganymede

Ganymede (pronounced /ˈɡænɨmiːd/,or as Greek Γανυμήδης) is a moon of Jupiter and the largest moon in the Solar System. Completing an orbit in roughly seven days, it is the seventh moon and third Galilean moon from Jupiter. Ganymede participates in a 1:2:4 orbital resonance with the moons Europa and Io, respectively. It is larger in diameter than the planet Mercury but has only about half its mass. It has the highest mass of all planetary satellites with 2.01 times the mass of the Earth's moon. Ganymede is composed primarily of silicate rock and water ice. It is a fully differentiated body with an iron-rich, liquid core. A saltwater ocean is believed to exist nearly 200 km below Ganymede's surface, sandwiched between layers of ice. Its surface comprises two main types of terrain. Dark regions, saturated with impact craters and dated to four billion years ago, cover about a third of the satellite. Lighter regions, crosscut by extensive grooves and ridges and only slightly less ancient, cover the remainder. The cause of the light terrain's disrupted geology is not fully known, but was likely the result of tectonic activity brought about by tidal heating. Ganymede is the only satellite in the Solar System known to possess a magnetosphere, likely created through convection within the liquid iron core. The meager magnetosphere is buried within Jupiter's much larger magnetic field and connected to it through open field lines. The satellite has a thin oxygen atmosphere that includes O, O2, and possibly O3 (ozone).[7] Atomic hydrogen is a minor atmospheric constituent. Whether the satellite has an ionosphere to correspond to its atmosphere is unresolved. Ganymede's discovery is credited to Galileo Galilei, who observed it in 1610. The satellite's name was soon suggested by astronomer Simon Marius, for the mythological Ganymede, cupbearer of the Greek gods and Zeus's beloved. Beginning with Pioneer 10, spacecraft have been able to examine Ganymede closely. The Voyager probes refined measurements of its size, while the Galileo craft discovered its underground ocean and magnetic field. A new mission to Jupiter's icy moons, the Europa Jupiter System Mission (EJSM) is proposed for a launch in 2020. Ganymede receives about 8 rem of radiation per day. Discovered by G. Galilei S. Marius Discovery date January 11, 1610 Designations Alternate name Jupiter III Adjective Ganymedian, Ganymedean Orbital characteristics Periapsis 1 069 200 km[b] Apoapsis 1 071 600 km[a] Mean orbit radius 1 070 400 km Eccentricity 0.001 3 Orbital period 7.154 552 96 d Average orbital speed 10.880 km/s Inclination 0.20° (to Jupiter's equator) Satellite of Jupiter Physical characteristics Mean radius 2634.1 ± 0.3 km (0.413 Earths) Surface area 87.0 million km2 (0.171 Earths) Volume 7.6 × 1010 km3 (0.0704 Earths) Mass 1.4819 × 1023 kg (0.025 Earths) Mean density 1.936 g/cm3 Equatorial surface gravity 1.428 m/s2 (0.146 g) Escape velocity 2.741 km/s Rotation period synchronous Axial tilt 00.33° Albedo 0.43 ± 0.02 Surface temp. K min mean max 70 - 110 - 152 Apparent magnitude 4.61 (opposition) Atmosphere Surface pressure trace Composition oxygen

Camera Only: Jupiter and four moons. Moons identified through http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects/javascript/jupiter as Callisto, Ganymede, Io, and Europa I own all rights to this video. I hereby release this entire production to the public domain to be used as a whole or in parts. Feel free to copy, mirror or distribute this video with or without accreditation. If I can stay up late enough, Venus and Mars are next. ;-D

Watch the galiean moons of Jupiter dance in this awesome time lapse video done by Joe Brimacombe!

Eclipse of Jupiter's satellite Io by the shadow of Ganymede, on 2009 July 29 at 17hrs UT. Maximum eclipse occurred at 16h 56m. The video runs at 16X normal speed. The video ends with a graphic showing the measured light curve. On the video, the eclipsing moon (Ganymede) is closest to Jupiter; and the moon that is eclipsed (Io) is just to the right of Ganymede.

Ganymede's surface rotating throughout its day. Ganymede is one of Jupiter's 4 largest moons. The animation is computer generated from a map of the surface.

Jupiter and its moons Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto as seen on 12th July 2008 with my 8" Newtonian Reflector Telescope and webcam from Charlotte city North Carolina State USA

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