Peapix

  • Bing Gallery
  • Extension
Peapix
Bing Gallery
Extension
  • United States
    All
    Australia Canada China Germany France India Japan Spain United Kingdom United States Italy Brazil

Bing Gallery

Australia Canada China Germany France India Japan Spain United Kingdom United States Italy Brazil
  1. Home
  2. Bing Gallery
  3. United States
  4. 2020
  5. January 07
  6. Jupiter and its moons Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto
arrow_back_ios arrow_forward_ios Jupiter and its moons Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto

January 07, 2020

Jupiter and its moons Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto

© Branko Šimunek/Alam

Jupiter and the Galilean moons

On January 7, 1610, Galileo was the first person to train a telescope on Jupiter—and what he saw surprised him. Strung in a line beside the planet were three tiny stars, one to the left of the planet and two to the right. But when he observed the formation the next night, he saw that now all three were on the same side of Jupiter. Over the following week, he watched as the tiny stars (now joined by a fourth) changed their position relative to the planet while remaining beside it. By January 15, he had it figured out: he was observing four moons orbiting Jupiter.

It was a discovery that would have profound implications on our conception of the cosmos, providing crucial evidence that Earth was not the center of the universe around which everything rotated. Savvy as well as brilliant, Galileo named the four moons 'the Medicean Stars' after his patron, Cosimo II de' Medici. But over the years, as the influence of the Medici family waned and the influence of the genius from Pisa waxed, they became known as the Galilean moons: Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. These four moons are pictured here revolving around Jupiter in a composite of images taken by the Galileo spacecraft.

astronomy moon mollusk sphere planet astronomical object cowrie dark

Related Images

The Milky Way framed by Double Arch in Arches National Park, UtahThe Milky Way framed by Double Arch in Arches National Park, Utah
Joshua trees under the Milky Way, CaliforniaJoshua trees under the Milky Way, California
Tre Cime di Lavaredo, Sexten Dolomites, ItalyTre Cime di Lavaredo, Sexten Dolomites, Italy
Milky Way, Aït Benhaddou, MoroccoMilky Way, Aït Benhaddou, Morocco
Hammock camping on a lake in Central FloridaHammock camping on a lake in Central Florida
The moonThe moon
Milky Way over Big Bend National Park, TexasMilky Way over Big Bend National Park, Texas
Total solar eclipse photographed from Madras, Oregon on August 21, 2017Total solar eclipse photographed from Madras, Oregon on August 21, 2017

Today on Bing

Moeraki Boulders at sunset, South Island, New Zealand

Moeraki Boulders at sunset, South Island, New Zealand

Jan 07, 2025
Karlu Karlu/Devils Marbles Conservation Reserve, Australia

Karlu Karlu/Devils Marbles Conservation Reserve, Australia

Jan 07, 2024
Wool and mohair yarn

Wool and mohair yarn

Jan 07, 2023
Nazaré Lighthouse atop Forte de São Miguel Arcanjo, Nazaré, Portugal

Nazaré Lighthouse atop Forte de São Miguel Arcanjo, Nazaré, Portugal

Jan 07, 2022
White Cliffs of Dover, England

White Cliffs of Dover, England

Jan 07, 2021
Snowy owl

Snowy owl

Jan 07, 2019

Related Tags

astronomy sky landscape nature outdoor night sky night star dark grass tree cloud mountain moon astronomical object cave lightning sunset rock lake
Share photo
Share
Pin
Tweet
Line
  • © 2025 Peapix.com
  • API
  • App
  • Privacy
The images are provided for wallpaper use only.