By Gurpreet Singh |December 12, 2025
Jupiter’s moons vary greatly in size, shape and orbit. Some are volcanic, icy, and even magnetic in nature. Have a look at some of these moons of Jupiter.
Image: NASA
Io is the most volcanically active moon in the Solar System, with hundreds of erupting volcanoes on its surface constantly.
Image: NASA
Europa’s icy surface hides a global ocean beneath, making it a key candidate in the search for alien life.
Image: NASA
Callisto’s heavily cratered surface shows an ancient history, making it one of the oldest landscapes in the Solar System.
Image: NASA
Ganymede is the largest moon in the Solar System and has its own magnetic field, unique among moons.
Image: NASA
Amalthea is an irregularly shaped inner moon, reddish in color, discovered in 1892, orbiting close to Jupiter’s bright belts.
Image: NASA
Himalia is Jupiter’s largest outer moon with an irregular orbit, made mostly of rock and ice, faintly visible from Earth.
Image: NASA
Elara is another outer moon, slightly smaller than Himalia, discovered in 1905 and forming part of the Himalia group.
Image: NASA
Pasiphae is a retrograde outer moon, moving in the opposite direction of Jupiter’s rotation, hinting at captured origin.
Image: NASA
Sinope is a small, dark, retrograde moon, part of the Pasiphae group, orbiting far from Jupiter with a tilted path.
Image: NASA
Lysithea is a faint inner moon of Jupiter, discovered in 1938, moving quickly in an almost circular orbit.
Image: NASA