Moons of the Solar System Trivia Quiz

Answer: Jovian Moons

Ganymede is the largest moon in the Solar System. It has a diameter of about 5,268 kilometers (3,273 miles). It is also primarily composed of silicate rock and water. Its orbit around Jupiter takes about seven days and keeps it slightly more than one million kilometers (620,000 miles) from the planet. Ganymede was co-discovered by Galileo in 1610.

In Greek mythology Ganymede was a mortal and cupbearer of Jupiter.

Answer: Jovian Moons

Callisto has a diameter of 4,821 kilometers (2,996 miles) and is the third largest Galilean moon. It was discovered in 1610 like the other three moons. Callisto orbits Jupiter at about 1.85 million kilometers (1.15 million miles) away. It is primarily composed or rock and ice. Due to its rotation, Callisto always faces Jupiter the same way.

Callisto was a Greek nymph who slept with Jupiter in a case of mistaken identity.

Answer: Jovian Moons

Io is a volcanic and geologically active volcano. Like the other Galilean moons, it was discovered by Galileo Galilei. Io orbits Jupiter at about 428,000 kilometers (266,000 miles). The diameter of the moon is approximately 3,652 kilometers (2,269 miles). Io has a lot of silicate rock in its composition.

Io was another lover of Jupiter who was famously transformed into a cow to hide her.

Answer: Jovian Moons

Europe orbits Jupiter at a distance of 670,900 kilometers (416,900 miles). The planet has an iron-nickel core. Galileo discovered this moon and the other three in 1610. The diameter of Europa is 3,120 kilometers (1,938 miles). Tidal heating keeps its oceans liquid.

Europa was another of Jupiter's lovers and the mother of King Minos of Crete.

Answer: Saturnian Moons

Titan is the largest moon not orbiting Jupiter at 5,148 kilometers (3,199 miles). It was discovered in 1655 by Christopher Huygens. Titan orbits Saturn at approximately 1.25 million kilometers (777,000 miles). It is the only moon with an atmosphere and a composition that is mostly ice.

In mythology, the Titans were essentially the ancestors of the more familiar Olympian gods.

Answer: Saturnian Moons

The moon Rhea is locked so that the same side faces toward Saturn. It lies about 527,000 kilometers (327,000 miles). The moon includes a majority of ice and a minority of rock. Rhea is about 1,528 kilometers (949 miles) in diameter. It was discovered in 1672 by Giovanni Cassini.

Rhea is a Titan, the wife of Saturn and the mother of Jupiter and the other Olympians.

Answer: Saturnian Moons

Tethys was also discovered by Giovanni Cassini in 1684. It is located approximately 295,000 kilometers (183,300 miles) from Saturn. Compared to some other moons, Tethys has more ice and less rock. Tethys has a diameter of 1,060 kilometers (659 miles). Tethys has many craters including one that is nearly 400 kilometers (249 miles) across.

Tethys was one of the Titans and married to Oceanus former god of the ocean.

Answer: Saturnian Moons

Dione has a diameter of about 1,123 kilometers (698 miles). It was discovered in 1684 by Giovanni Cassini. The moon is made of rock and ice in roughly equal measure. Dione is 377,000 kilometers (234,000 miles) from Saturn. Dione actually shares a number of characteristics with Rhea including a cratered terrain.

In mythology, there were several named Dione including more than one who were Titans.

Answer: Uranian Moons

Ariel has a diameter of 1,156 (18 miles). It orbits Uranus at a distance of about 190,000 kilometers (118,000 miles). Ariel was discovered in 1851 by William Lassell. Much of the knowledge of the moon comes from a 1986 flyby by Voyager 2. The moon is known for its particularly distinct seasons.

Ariel is named after two characters from the works of Shakespeare.

Answer: Uranian Moons

Umbriel was discovered in 1851 by William Lassell. It has a diameter of 1,068 kilometers (659 miles). The heavily cratered moon is of a dark hue. It orbit's Uranus at a distance of about 266,000 kilometers (165,000 miles). Umbriel orbits the planet in slightly over four days.

Umbriel is known as a character from the works of Alexander Pope.

Answer: Uranian Moons

Titania has a diameter of 1,578 kilometers (981 miles). The composition of the moon is roughly equally split between rock and ice. Like some of Uranus's other moons, it is heavily cratered. Titania was discovered in 1787 by William Herschel. It orbits Uranus at a distance of about 435,910 (270,900 miles) kilometers.

Titania is a character from Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream".

Answer: Uranian Moons

Oberon is about 1,522 kilometers (946 miles) in diameter. It has a rocky core and an icy exterior. Oberon orbits Uranus at about 584,000 kilometers (363,000 miles). William Herschel discovered the moon in 1787. The moon is tidally locked relative to Uranus.

Oberon is also a character in "A Midsummer Night's Dream".

Answer: Neptunian Moons

Triton has a diameter of 2,710 kilometers (1,684 miles). It has an orbit around Neptune of about 354,800 kilometers (220,000 miles). It is the only moon in the Solar System that is retrograde. It is possible that Triton was a dwarf planet until its capture by Neptune.

Triton is a son of Neptune and generally has the appearance of a merman.

Answer: Neptunian Moons

Nereid was discovered by Gerald Kuiper in 1949. It has a diameter of about 714 kilometers (444 miles). It has a neutral color and noticeable surface ice. It is irregular in shape and is one of the largest irregular moons in the Solar System. Nereid orbits Neptune at an average distance of 5.5 million kilometers (3,340,000 miles).

The Nereids are water nymphs that accompany Neptune on his journeys.

Answer: Neptunian Moons

Galatea was discovered by Stephen Syndott in 1989. It is an irregularly shaped moon with a diameter less than 200 kilometers (125 miles). Galatea orbits Neptune closer than 61,500 kilometers (39,000). It was first observed in footage from the Voyager 2 probe.

Galatea is the name of several characters from mythology.

Answer: Neptunian Moons

Larissa was discovered in 1981 by an astronomical group. It is an irregularly shaped moon moon with a diameter less than 200 kilometers (125 miles). Most of its observation came from the Voyager 2 probe. It orbits Neptune at less than 74,000 kilometers (46,000 miles).

Larissa is motre than one character from mythology.

Answer: Outer Moons

Vanth was discovered in 2095 by Michael Brown and Terry-Ann Suer. The moon orbits the trans-Neptunian dwarf planet Orcus. Vanth has a diameter of about 885 kilometers (550 miles). Its orbit is a mere 9,000 kilometers (5,600 miles) from Orcus. It has a reddish hue.

Vanth is a female figure from Etruscan mythology.

Answer: Outer Moons

Charon was discovered by James Christy in 1978. It has a diameter of approximately 1,212 kilometers (753 miles). The probe New Horizons visited Pluto and Charon in 2015. Charon orbits Pluto at a distance of roughly 19,600 kilometers (12,200 miles). Because Charon is relatively large compared to Pluto, the barycenter (center of mass) between the two planets is actually in the space between them rather than beneath the surface of the larger body as it would normally be.

Charon is the figure in mythology who ferries dead souls to the Underworld.

Answer: Outer Moons

Hydra is smaller than many of the moons in this quiz with a diameter of about 100 kilometers (62.5 miles). It was discovered in 2005 by the Hubble Space Telescope. Hydra has a highly reflective surface. It has an orbit approximately 64,700 kilometers (40,200 miles) from Pluto.

Hydra is a many-headed serpent from mythology.

Answer: Outer Moons

Namaka is a moon of the dwarf planet Haumea. It was discovered in 2005 by a team led by Michael Brown. Namaka has a highly elliptical orbit. It orbits about 25,500 kilometers (15,200 miles) from Haumea. It is an irregularly shaped moon and is roughly 150 kilometers (93 miles)in diameter.

Namaka is a sea goddess from Hawaiian mythology.