Galilean Satellite (Noun)
Meaning
One of the four satellites of Jupiter that were discovered by Galileo.
Classification
Nouns denoting natural objects (not man-made).
Examples
- The Galilean satellite Io is the innermost of the four moons and is the most volcanically active body in the solar system.
- Jupiter's Galilean satellite Europa has a thick icy crust covering a global ocean, making it a potential candidate for supporting life.
- The Galilean satellite Ganymede is the largest moon in the solar system, even bigger than the planet Mercury.
- Astronomers have been studying the subsurface ocean of the Galilean satellite Callisto, which is thought to be in contact with the moon's rocky interior.
- The discovery of the Galilean satellites by Galileo in 1610 revolutionized our understanding of the solar system and provided evidence for the Copernican heliocentric model.