Watch Jupiter's Moons in Unusual Lineups

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Watch Jupiter's Moons in Unusual Lineups

You’ll have five opportunities in the coming months to see Jupiter’s moons in interesting configurations.

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It is always fascinating to watch Jupiter’s Galilean satellites change position relative to each other from night to night and even hour to hour. But in the coming months, observers have the opportunity to see some unusual geometries among Jupiter’s biggest moons.

Io, the innermost satellite, takes only 1.8 days to make one revolution around Jupiter. Europa takes twice as long at 3.6 days, while Ganymede circles Jupiter in 7.2 days (exactly four times Io’s period). Callisto is the farthest out from Jupiter of the Galilean moons and takes 16.7 days to complete one orbit around the giant planet.

Read More: ➡️ Sky & Telescope