Ganymede's magnetic field is probably created by convection within its core, and influenced by tidal forces from Jupiter's far greater magnetic field.[23] Ganymede has a thin oxygenatmosphere that includes O, O2, and possibly O3 (ozone).[17]Atomic hydrogen is a minor atmospheric constituent. Whether Ganymede has an ionosphere associated with its atmosphere is unresolved.[24]
Ganymede's surface is composed of two main types of terrain, the first of which are lighter regions, generally crosscut by extensive grooves and ridges, dating from slightly less than 4 billion years ago, covering two-thirds of Ganymede. The cause of the light terrain's disrupted geology is not fully known, but may be the result of tectonic activity due to tidal heating. The second terrain type are darker regions saturated with impact craters, which are dated to four billion years ago.[9]
Ganymede's discovery is credited to Simon Marius and Galileo Galilei, who both observed it in 1610,[2][g] as the third of the Galilean moons, the first group of objects discovered orbiting another planet.[26] Its name was soon suggested by astronomer Simon Marius, after the mythologicalGanymede, a Trojan prince desired by Zeus (the Greek counterpart of Jupiter), who carried him off to be the cupbearer of the gods.[27]
Beginning with Pioneer 10, several spacecraft have explored Ganymede.[28] The Voyager probes, Voyager 1 and Voyager 2, refined measurements of its size, while Galileo discovered its underground ocean and magnetic field. The next planned mission to the Jovian system is the European Space Agency's Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE), which was launched in 2023.[29] After flybys of all three icy Galilean moons, it is planned to enter orbit around Ganymede.[30]
^ abGalilei, Galileo; translated by Edward Carlos (March 1610). Barker, Peter (ed.). "Sidereus Nuncius"(PDF). University of Oklahoma History of Science. Archived from the original(PDF) on December 20, 2005. Retrieved January 13, 2010.
^"In Depth | Ganymede". NASA Solar System Exploration. Archived from the original on July 28, 2018. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
^Quinn Passey & E. M. Shoemaker (1982) "Craters on Ganymede and Callisto", in David Morrison, ed., Satellites of Jupiter, vol. 3, International Astronomical Union, pp. 385–386, 411.
^E. M. Shoemaker et al. (1982) "Geology of Ganymede", in David Morrison, ed., Satellites of Jupiter, vol. 3, International Astronomical Union, pp. 464, 482, 496.
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