Timeline Of Natural Satellites Prehistoric 1610s 1650s

For comparison, discovery dates of Uranus, Neptune and Pluto are also included, as well as the first six asteroids. After the first six, new asteroids were discovered every year; however, the first four at least were for several decades considered full-fledged planets.

Historically the naming of natural satellites did not always match the times of their discovery. See Naming of natural satellites.

The tables are sorted by publication/announcement date. When two dates are given, the first is publication, the second is the discovery observation's date.

1 Prehistoric

Date	Name	Designation	Number Designation	References
	The Moon
	Mercury
	Venus
	Mars
	Jupiter
	Saturn

2 1610s

Date	Name	Designation	Number Designation	References
January 7, 1610	CallistoCallisto is a moon of the planet Jupiter, discovered in 1610 by Galileo Galilei. It is the third-largest moon in the solar system, about the same size as the planet Mercury. It is named after Callisto, one of Zeus's many love interests in Greek mythology.	Jupiter IV	GalileoGalileo Galilei ( Pisa, February 15, 1564 Arcetri, January 8, 1642), was a Tuscan astronomer, philosopher, and physicist who is closely associated with the scientific revolution. His great achievements include perfecting the telescope, a variety of astron
January 7, 1610	IoIo is the innermost of the four Galilean moons of Jupiter. It is named after the Greek mythological figure Io, one of the many lovers of Zeus (who is also known as Jupiter in the Roman mythology). Although the name "Io" was suggested by Simon Marius soon	Jupiter I	GalileoGalileo Galilei ( Pisa, February 15, 1564 Arcetri, January 8, 1642), was a Tuscan astronomer, philosopher, and physicist who is closely associated with the scientific revolution. His great achievements include perfecting the telescope, a variety of astron
January 7, 1610	EuropaEuropa is a moon of the planet Jupiter, smallest of the four Galilean moons. It is named after Europa, one of Zeus's many love interests in Greek mythology. Although the name "Europa" was suggested by Simon Marius soon after its discovery, this name and t	Jupiter II	GalileoGalileo Galilei ( Pisa, February 15, 1564 Arcetri, January 8, 1642), was a Tuscan astronomer, philosopher, and physicist who is closely associated with the scientific revolution. His great achievements include perfecting the telescope, a variety of astron
January 11January 11 is the 11th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. There are 354 days remaining (355 in leap years). Events Tony Stott of world war II was born in 1904 532 Nika riots in Constantinople. 1158 Vladislav II becomes King of Bohemia. 1569 First, 1610	GanymedeGanymede is Jupiter's largest moon, and indeed the largest moon in the entire solar system; it is larger in diameter than Mercury but only about half its mass. Ganymede is much larger than Pluto. It was discovered in 1609 by Galileo Galilei and named afte	Jupiter III	GalileoGalileo Galilei ( Pisa, February 15, 1564 Arcetri, January 8, 1642), was a Tuscan astronomer, philosopher, and physicist who is closely associated with the scientific revolution. His great achievements include perfecting the telescope, a variety of astron

3 1650s

Date	Name	Designation	Number Designation	References
March 25, 1655	Titan		Saturn VI	Huygens

4 1670s

Date	Name	Designation	Number Designation	References
October 25, 1671	Iapetus		Saturn VIII	Cassini
December 23, 1672	Rhea		Saturn V	Cassini

5 1680s

Date	Name	Designation	Number Designation	References
March 21, 1684	Tethys		Saturn III	Cassini
March 21, 1684	Dione		Saturn IV	Cassini

6 1780s

Date	Name	Number Designation	References
March 13, 1781	Uranus
January 11, 1787	Titania	Uranus III	Herschel
January 11, 1787	Oberon	Uranus IV	Herschel
August 28, 1789	Enceladus	Saturn II	Herschel
September 17, 1789	Mimas	Saturn I	Herschel [1]

7 1800s

Date	Name	Designation	Number Designation	References
January 1, 1801	1 Ceres
March 28, 1802	2 Pallas
September 1, 1804	3 Juno
March 29, 1807	4 Vesta

8 1840s

Date	Name	Number Designation	References
December 8, 1845	5 Astraea		Hencke [2]
September 23, 1846	Neptune
October 10, 1846	Triton	Neptune I	Lassell [3] [4]
July 1, 1847	6 Hebe		Hencke [5]
September 16, 1848	Hyperion	Saturn VII	Bond, Bond, Lassell [6] [7]

9 1850s

Date	Name	Designation	Number Designation	References
October 24, 1851	Ariel		Uranus I	Lassell [8]
October 24, 1851	Umbriel		Uranus II	Lassell [9]

10 1870s

Date	Name	Designation	Number Designation	References
August 12, 1877	Deimos		Mars II	Hall [10] [11] [12]
August 18, 1877	Phobos		Mars I	Hall [13] [14] [15]

11 1890s

Date	Name	Designation	Number Designation	References
September 9, 1892	Amalthea		Jupiter V	Barnard [16]
August 16, 1898	Phoebe		Saturn IX	Pickering [17] [18]

12 1900s

Date	Name	Number Designation	References
December 3, 1904	Himalia	Jupiter VI	Perrine [19] [20] [21] [22]
January 2, 1905	Elara	Jupiter VII	Perrine [23] [24] [25]
April 28, 1905	" Themis"	"Saturn X" (spurious)	Pickering [26] [27]
January 27, 1908	Pasiphaë	Jupiter VIII	Melotte [28]

13 1910s

Date	Name	Designation	Number Designation	References
July 21, 1914	Sinope		Jupiter IX	Nicholson [29]

14 1930s

Date	Name	Number Designation	References
February 18, 1930	Pluto
July 6, 1938	Lysithea	Jupiter X	Nicholson [30]
July 30, 1938	Carme	Jupiter XI	Nicholson [31]

15 1940s

Date	Name	Designation	Number Designation	References
February 16, 1948	Miranda		Uranus V	Kuiper [32]
May 1, 1949	Nereid		Neptune II	Kuiper [33] [34]

16 1950s

Date	Name	Designation	Number Designation	References
September 28, 1951	Ananke		Jupiter XII	Nicholson [35]

17 1960s

Date	Name	Designation	Number Designation	References
December 15 1966	Janus*	S/1966 S 2	Saturn X	Dollfus [36] [37] [38] [39] [40] [41] (Dollfus may have seen either Janus or Epimetheus)
December 18 1966	Epimetheus*		Saturn XI	Walker [42]

18 1970s

Date	Name	Designation	Number Designation	References
September 20/ 11, 1974	Leda		Jupiter XIII	Kowal [43] [44] [45] [46]
October 3/ September 30, 1975	Themisto*	S/1975 J 1	Jupiter XVIII	Kowal [47] [48] [49] (Discovered and then lost)
April 13, 1978	Charon	S/1978 P 1		Christy [50] [51]
November 23/ July 8, 1979	Adrastea	S/1979 J 1	Jupiter XV	Jewitt, Danielson / Voyager 2 [52] [53] [54] [55] [56] [57]

19 1980s

Date	Name	Designation	Number Designation	References
January 19, 1980	Janus*	S/1980 S 1	Saturn X	[58] [59] [60] [61] [62] (Confirmed by Voyager 1)
January 26, 1980	Epimetheus*	S/1980 S 3	Saturn XI	[63] [64] [65] [66] [67] (Confirmed by Voyager 1)
March 1, 1980	Helene	S/1980 S 6	Saturn XII	Laques , Lecacheux [68] [69] [70] [71]
March 13, 1980	Calypso	S/1980 S 25	Saturn XIV	Pascu , Seidelmann , Baum , Currie [72] [73]
April 8, 1980	Telesto	S/1980 S 13	Saturn XIII	Smith , Reitsema, Larson , Fountain , Voyager 1 [74] [75]
April 28, 1980/ March 5, 1979	Thebe	S/1979 J 2	Jupiter XIV	Synnott, Voyager 1 [76] [77]
August 26, 1980/ March 4, 1979	Metis	S/1979 J 3	Jupiter XVI	Synnott, Voyager 1 [78]
October, 1980	Atlas	S/1980 S 28	Saturn XV	Terrile, Voyager 1 [79]
October, 1980	Prometheus	S/1980 S 27	Saturn XVI	Collins , Voyager 1 [80]
October, 1980	Pandora	S/1980 S 26	Saturn XVII	Collins , Voyager 1 [81]
December 30, 1985	Puck	S/1985 U 1	Uranus XV	Synnott, Voyager 2 [82]
January 3, 1986	Juliet	S/1986 U 2	Uranus XI	Synnott, Voyager 2 [83] [84]
January 3, 1986	Portia	S/1986 U 1	Uranus XII	Synnott, Voyager 2 [85] [86]
January 9, 1986	Cressida	S/1986 U 3	Uranus IX	Synnott, Voyager 2 [87] [88]
January 13, 1986	Desdemona	S/1986 U 6	Uranus X	Synnott, Voyager 2 [89] [90]
January 13, 1986	Rosalind	S/1986 U 4	Uranus XIII	Synnott, Voyager 2 [91] [92]
January 13, 1986	Belinda	S/1986 U 5	Uranus XIV	Synnott, Voyager 2 [93] [94]
January 20, 1986	Cordelia	S/1986 U 7	Uranus VI	Terrile, Voyager 2 [95]
January 20, 1986	Ophelia	S/1986 U 8	Uranus VII	Terrile, Voyager 2 [96]
January 23, 1986	Bianca	S/1986 U 9	Uranus VIII	Smith , Voyager 2 [97]
July 7 / < June 16, 1989	Proteus	S/1989 N 1	Neptune VIII	Synnott, Voyager 2 [98] [99]
August 2 / < July 28, 1989	Larissa	S/1989 N 2	Neptune VII	Reitsema, Hubbard , Lebofsky , Tholen, Voyager 2 [100]
August 2 / < July 28, 1989	Despina	S/1989 N 3	Neptune V	Synnott, Voyager 2 [101]
August 2 / < July 28, 1989	Galatea	S/1989 N 4	Neptune VI	Synnott, Voyager 2 [102]
September 29 / < September 18, 1989	Thalassa	S/1989 N 5	Neptune IV	Terrile, Voyager 2 [103]
September 29 / < September 18, 1989	Naiad	S/1989 N 6	Neptune III	Terrile, Voyager 2 [104]

20 1990s

Date	Name	Designation	Number Designation	References
July 16, 1990	Pan*	S/1981 S 13	Saturn XVIII	Showalter , Voyager 2 [105] (From Voyager 2 images taken starting August 22, 1981)
April 14, 1995 / August 23, 1981		S/1981 S 14 (see S/2004 S 1 below)		Gordon , Murray and Beurle [106] [107]
September 6, 1997	Caliban	S/1997 U 1	Uranus XVI	Gladman, Nicholson , Burns , Kavelaars [108]
September 6, 1997	Sycorax	S/1997 U 2	Uranus XVII	Gladman, Nicholson , Burns , Kavelaars [109]
May 18, 1999		S/1986 U10*		Karkoschka , Voyager 2 [110] (From Voyager 2 images taken starting 18 January 1986)
July 18, 1999	Setebos	S/1999 U 1	Uranus XIX	Kavelaars, Gladman, Holman , Petit , Scholl [111]
July 18, 1999	Stephano	S/1999 U 2	Uranus XX	Gladman, Holman , Kavelaars, Petit , Scholl [112]
July 18, 1999	Prospero	S/1999 U 3	Uranus XVIII	Holman , Kavelaars, Gladman, Petit , Scholl [113]

21 2000

Date	Name	Designation	Number Designation	References
July 18- 20, 2000/ October 6, 1999	Callirrhoe	S/1999 J 1	Jupiter XVII	Scotti, Spahr, McMillan, Larsen , Montani , Gleason , Gehrels [114] [115]
August 7, 2000	Ymir	S/2000 S 1	Saturn XIX	Gladman [116] [117]
August 7, 2000	Paaliaq	S/2000 S 2	Saturn XX	Gladman [118] [119]
August 7, 2000	Kiviuq	S/2000 S 5	Saturn XXIV	Gladman [120] [121]
September 23, 2000	Siarnaq	S/2000 S 3	Saturn XXIX	Gladman, Kavelaars [122] [123]
September 23, 2000	Tarvos	S/2000 S 4	Saturn XXI	Kavelaars, Gladman [124] [125]
September 23, 2000	Ijiraq	S/2000 S 6	Saturn XXII	Kavelaars, Gladman [126] [127]
September 23, 2000	Thrymr	S/2000 S 7	Saturn XXX	Gladman, Kavelaars [128] [129]
September 23, 2000	Skathi	S/2000 S 8	Saturn XXVII	Kavelaars, Gladman [130] [131]
September 23, 2000	Mundilfari	S/2000 S 9	Saturn XXV	Gladman, Kavelaars [132] [133]
September 23, 2000	Erriapo	S/2000 S 10	Saturn XXVIII	Kavelaars, Gladman [134] [135]
September 23, 2000	Suttungr	S/2000 S 12	Saturn XXIII	Gladman, Kavelaars [136] [137]
November 9, 2000	Albiorix	S/2000 S 11	Saturn XXVI	Holman , Spahr [138] [139]
November 25/ 21, 2000	Themisto*	S/2000 J 1	Jupiter XVIII	Sheppard, Jewitt, Fernández , Magnier (Rediscovered) [140] [141]

22 2001

Date	Name	Designation	Number Designation	References
January 5, 2001/ November 23, 2000	Kalyke	S/2000 J 2	Jupiter XXIII	Sheppard, Jewitt, Fernández , Magnier , Dahm , Evans [142] [143]
January 5, 2001/November 23, 2000	Iocaste	S/2000 J 3	Jupiter XXIV	Sheppard, Jewitt, Fernández , Magnier , Dahm , Evans [144] [145]
January 5, 2001/November 23, 2000	Erinome	S/2000 J 4	Jupiter XXV	Sheppard, Jewitt, Fernández , Magnier , Dahm , Evans [146] [147]
January 5, 2001/November 23, 2000	Harpalyke	S/2000 J 5	Jupiter XXII	Sheppard, Jewitt, Fernández , Magnier , Dahm , Evans [148] [149]
January 5, 2001/November 23, 2000	Isonoe	S/2000 J 6	Jupiter XXVI	Sheppard, Jewitt, Fernández , Magnier , Dahm , Evans [150] [151]
January 5, 2001/November 23, 2000	Praxidike	S/2000 J 7	Jupiter XXVII	Sheppard, Jewitt, Fernández , Magnier , Dahm , Evans [152] [153]
January 5, 2001/November 25, 2000	Megaclite	S/2000 J 8	Jupiter XIX	Sheppard, Jewitt, Fernández , Magnier , Dahm , Evans [154] [155]
January 5, 2001/November 25, 2000	Taygete	S/2000 J 9	Jupiter XX	Sheppard, Jewitt, Fernández , Magnier , Dahm , Evans [156] [157]
January 5, 2001/ November 26, 2000	Chaldene	S/2000 J 10	Jupiter XXI	Sheppard, Jewitt, Fernández , Magnier , Dahm , Evans [158] [159]
January 5, 2001/ December 5, 2000		S/2000 J 11		Sheppard, Jewitt, Fernández , Magnier , Dahm , Evans [160] [161]
August 13, 2001	Trinculo	S/2001 U 1	Uranus XXI	Holman , Kavelaars, Milisavljevic [162] [163]

23 2002

Date	Name	Designation	Number Designation	References
May 16, 2002/ December 9, 2001	Hermippe	S/2001 J 3	Jupiter XXX	Sheppard, Jewitt, Kleyna [164] [165]
May 16, 2002/December 9, 2001	Eurydome	S/2001 J 4	Jupiter XXXII	Sheppard, Jewitt, Kleyna [166] [167]
May 16, 2002/December 9, 2001	Sponde	S/2001 J 5	Jupiter XXXVI	Sheppard, Jewitt, Kleyna [168] [169]
May 16, 2002/December 9, 2001	Kale	S/2001 J 8	Jupiter XXXVII	Sheppard, Jewitt, Kleyna [170] [171]
May 16, 2002/ December 10, 2001	Autonoe	S/2001 J 1	Jupiter XXVIII	Sheppard, Jewitt, Kleyna [172] [173]
May 16, 2002/ December 11, 2001	Thyone	S/2001 J 2	Jupiter XXIX	Sheppard, Jewitt, Kleyna [174] [175]
May 16, 2002/December 11, 2001	Pasithee	S/2001 J 6	Jupiter XXXVIII	Sheppard, Jewitt, Kleyna [176] [177]
May 16, 2002/December 11, 2001	Euanthe	S/2001 J 7	Jupiter XXXIII	Sheppard, Jewitt, Kleyna [178] [179]
May 16, 2002/December 11, 2001	Orthosie	S/2001 J 9	Jupiter XXXV	Sheppard, Jewitt, Kleyna [180] [181]
May 16, 2002/December 11, 2001	Euporie	S/2001 J 10	Jupiter XXXIV	Sheppard, Jewitt, Kleyna [182] [183]
May 16, 2002/December 11, 2001	Aitne	S/2001 J 11	Jupiter XXXI	Sheppard, Jewitt, Kleyna [184] [185]
August 13, 2002		S/2002 N 3		Holman , Kavelaars, Grav , Fraser , Milisavljevic [186] [187]
August 14, 2002		S/2002 N 1		Holman , Kavelaars, Grav , Fraser , Milisavljevic [188] [189]
August 14, 2002		S/2002 N 2		Holman , Kavelaars, Grav , Fraser , Milisavljevic [190] [191]
December 18/ October 31, 2002		S/2002 J 1		Sheppard, Meech , Hsieh , Tholen, Tonry [192] [193]

24 2003

Date	Designation	References
August 25, 2003/ January 18, 1986	S/1986 U 10*	Karkoschka (Recovered by the Hubble Space Telescope) [194]
October 2003/ August 13, 2001	S/2001 U 3*	Holman , Kavelaars, Milisavljevic , Gladman ~~[195]~~
February 5, 2003	S/2003 S 1	Sheppard, Jewitt, Kleyna [196]
March 4/February 5, 2003	S/2003 J 1	Sheppard, Jewitt, Kleyna , Fernández , Hsieh [197] [198]
March 4/February 5, 2003	S/2003 J 2	Sheppard, Jewitt, Kleyna , Fernández , Hsieh [199] [200]
March 4/February 5, 2003	S/2003 J 3	Sheppard, Jewitt, Kleyna , Fernández , Hsieh [201] [202]
March 4/February 5, 2003	S/2003 J 4	Sheppard, Jewitt, Kleyna , Fernández , Hsieh [203] [204]
March 4/ February 6, 2003	S/2003 J 5	Sheppard, Jewitt, Kleyna , Fernández , Hsieh [205] [206]
March 4/February 6, 2003	S/2003 J 6	Sheppard, Jewitt, Kleyna , Fernández , Hsieh [207] [208]
March 4/ February 8, 2003	S/2003 J 7	Sheppard, Jewitt, Kleyna , Fernández , Hsieh [209] [210]
March 6/February 8, 2003	S/2003 J 8	Sheppard, Jewitt, Kleyna , Fernández [211] [212]
March 7/February 6, 2003	S/2003 J 9	Sheppard, Jewitt, Kleyna , Fernández [213] [214]
March 7/February 6, 2003	S/2003 J 10	Sheppard, Jewitt, Kleyna , Fernández [215] [216]
March 7/February 6, 2003	S/2003 J 11	Sheppard, Jewitt, Kleyna , Fernández [217] [218]
March 7/ February 8, 2003	S/2003 J 12	Sheppard, Jewitt, Kleyna , Fernández [219] [220]
April 11/ February 9, 2003	S/2003 J 13	Sheppard, Jewitt, Kleyna [221]
April 11/ February 8, 2003	S/2003 J 14	Sheppard, Jewitt, Kleyna [222]
April 11/ February 6, 2003	S/2003 J 15	Sheppard, Jewitt, Kleyna , Fernández [223]
April 11/February 6, 2003	S/2003 J 16	Gladman, Sheppard, Jewitt, Kleyna , Kavelaars, Petit , Allen [224]
April 11/ February 8, 2003	S/2003 J 17	Gladman, Sheppard, Jewitt, Kleyna , Kavelaars, Petit , Allen [225]
April 11/February 6, 2003	S/2003 J 18	Gladman, Kavelaars, Petit , Allen , Sheppard, Jewitt, Kleyna [226]
April 30/February 6, 2003	S/2003 J 19	Gladman, Sheppard, Jewitt, Kleyna , Kavelaars, Petit , Allen [227] [228]
April 30/ February 9, 2003	S/2003 J 20	Sheppard, Gladman, Kavelaars, Petit , Allen , Jewitt, Kleyna [229] [230]
May 30/February 6, 2003	S/2003 J 21	Sheppard, Jewitt, Kleyna , Gladman, Kavelaars, Petit , Allen [231] [232]
August 25, 2003	S/2003 U 1	Showalter , Lissauer [233]
August 25, 2003	S/2003 U 2	Showalter , Lissauer [234]
August 29, 2003/ August 13, 2001	S/2001 U 2*	2001: Holman , Kavelaars, Milisavljevic ; 2003: Scott S. Sheppard, David C. Jewitt [235] [236]
August 29, 2003/ August 14, 2002	S/2002 N 4*	Holman , Kavelaars, Grav , Fraser , Milisavljevic [237] [238]
August 29, 2003	S/2003 U 3	Sheppard, Jewitt [239] [240]
September 3/August 29, 2003	S/2003 N 1	Jewitt, Kleyna , Sheppard, Holman , Kavelaars [241] [242]

25 2004

Date	Designation	References
January 25, 2004/ February 9, 2003	S/2003 J 22*	Sheppard, Jewitt, Kleyna , Gladman, Kavelaars, Petit , Allen [243] [244] (From images taken in 2003)
February 4, 2004/ February 6, 2003	S/2003 J 23*	Sheppard, Jewitt, Kleyna , Fernández [245] [246]
August 16 / June 1, 2004	S/2004 S 1 = S/1981 S 14 ?	Porco , Charnoz , Brahic , Dones / Cassini-Huygens [247] [248]
August 16 / June 1, 2004	S/2004 S 2	Porco , Charnoz , Brahic , Dones / Cassini-Huygens [249] [250]

*Note: Marked moons had complicated discoveries. Several moons took several years to be confirmed, and in several cases were actually lost and rediscovered. Others were found in Voyager photographs years after they were taken.

1 Sources

2 See also

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