What is the largest moon in the Solar System, possessing its own internally generated magnetic field and exceeding planet Mercury in diameter?
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: D. Ganymede
- Step 1: Ganymede orbits Jupiter with a diameter of 5,268 kilometers, making it roughly 8% larger than the planet Mercury.
- Step 2: Discovered by Galileo Galilei in 1610, it is the only natural satellite known to possess an internally generated magnetosphere produced by a liquid iron-rich core.
Answer
Ganymede
Why not the others: 'Titan' Titan is the second-largest moon in the solar system, orbiting Saturn; 'Callisto' Callisto is the third-largest moon in the solar system and the most heavily cratered body, orbiting Jupiter; 'Europa' Europa is a Galilean moon with a smooth ice crust overlying a deep liquid water ocean.
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