Mooning Planets Trivia Quiz

Answer: Jupiter

The names of all of Jupiter's moons have a connection with the Roman god Jupiter or Zeus, the Greek equivalent. Initially, they were lovers or favourites but, with increasing numbers of Jovian moons (more than 65), this was extended in 2004 to their descendants.

Ganymede was one of the four Jovian moons whose discovery is credited to Galileo. It is the largest satellite in the solar system and bigger than the planet Mercury.

Answer: Saturn

The theme here was Greek giants and Titans. With increasing numbers of moons being discovered (over 60), the pool of potential names expanded to include Norse, Gallic and Inuit giants. Titan is the second largest satellite in the solar system and is also larger than the planet Mercury, although only 40% of its mass.

Answer: Mars

Deimos is one of the sons of the Greek god Ares, the equivalent of Mars, the Roman god of war. Deimos personified terror. The moon is only about twelve kilometres in diameter. A little terror then.

Answer: Uranus

Uranus was named after the god of the sky and the air and had the first four moons discovered named after magical creatures from English literature. Subsequent moons have come from Shakespeare's plays and also Alexander Pope's "The Rape of the Lock", source of two of the first four names. Titania was the fairy queen in Shakespeare's "A Midsummer's Night Dream".

Answer: Neptune

Neptune being the Roman of the sea, it was perhaps natural that a marine theme was used for naming the moons. Triton, the largest of Neptune's moons, was discovered in 1845, just 17 days after discovery of the planet itself. The moon was named after a son of Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea.

Answer: Pluto

Pluto, classified as a dwarf planet, is the Roman god of the underworld. In Greek mythology, Charon ferries the dead across the rivers Styx and Acheron for Hades, the Greek god of the underworld.

Answer: Eris

Eris is another dwarf planet and was discovered in 2005. It is slightly smaller in volume that Pluto, although 25% heavier. It was eventually named after the Greek goddess of chaos, strife and discord. Dysnomia is one of her daughters.

The moon's name also ties in with the dwarf plane's temporary name Xena (after the character in the TV series "Xena: Warrior Princess"), given to it pending a decision on its formal name. Dysnomia means 'lawless', which happens to be the surname of the actress playing the Xena character (Lucy Lawless).

Answer: Mars

Phobos is the twin brother of Deimos but the satellite is seven times more massive and has a diameter averaging 22 kilometres. The Greek god Phobos is the personification of horror and is the son of Ares and Aphrodite.

Answer: Uranus

Oberon is the fairy king and husband of Titania, the fairy queen in Shakespeare's "A Midsummer's Night Dream". Sir William Herschel discovered the two moons Oberon and Titania on the same day in 1787.

Answer: Jupiter

Io is one of the four Galilean moons of Jupiter and is volcanically very active with at least 400 active volcanoes. The Greek mythological character was one of the mortal lovers of Zeus and gets transformed into a heifer in various versions of the myth.