Local orbit radius
\[r=\frac{a(1-e^2)}{1+e\cos(\nu)}\]
Each tracked moon follows the same conic equation used for planetary orbits, with the parent planet as the focus.
Jupiter moon system
Jupiter moons in motion.
Jupiter's moons range from inner ring shepherds to Galilean ocean and volcanic worlds and distant irregular families.
Jupiter selected
- parent distance
- Sun distance AU
- speed
- period
- position
1.00x Earth view- from Sun - - disk - - light
Moon simulator is initializing. Drag to rotate, wheel to zoom, right-drag to pan.
Simulation basis
Mean orbit model
Major inner and Galilean moons use measured mean elements; the remaining confirmed irregulars are represented as catalog shells.
Controls
Use the model
Drag rotates the scene, wheel zooms, right-drag pans, and the Full screen button expands the simulator. The time-rate selector can run from realtime seconds to one year per second.
The selected moon panel reports parent-relative distance, approximate Sun distance in AU, orbital speed, period, and current model angle.
Tracked moons
Interactive orbit data
These bodies have individual orbit tracks and selectable readouts in the simulator.
| Moon | Study note | Radius | Mean parent distance | Eccentricity | Period | Mean speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metis | Inner ring-associated moon close to Jupiter's cloud tops. | 21.5 km | 128,000 km | 0.0002 | 0.29478 days | 31.5 km/s |
| Adrastea | Tiny inner Jovian moon embedded in the main ring environment. | 8.2 km | 129,000 km | 0.0018 | 0.29826 days | 31.4 km/s |
| Amalthea | Large red inner moon orbiting inside Io. | 83.5 km | 181,400 km | 0.003 | 0.49818 days | 26.6 km/s |
| Thebe | Outer inner moon contributing dust to Jupiter's gossamer rings. | 49.3 km | 221,900 km | 0.018 | 0.6745 days | 23.9 km/s |
| Io | Volcanically active Galilean moon heated by tidal flexing. | 1,821.6 km | 421,700 km | 0.0041 | 1.7691378 days | 17.334 km/s |
| Europa | Ice-shell ocean-world target with a young fractured surface. | 1,560.8 km | 671,100 km | 0.0094 | 3.551181 days | 13.74 km/s |
| Ganymede | Largest moon in the solar system and the only moon with an intrinsic magnetic field. | 2,634.1 km | 1,070,400 km | 0.0013 | 7.154553 days | 10.88 km/s |
| Callisto | Heavily cratered outer Galilean moon preserving ancient impact history. | 2,410.3 km | 1,882,700 km | 0.0074 | 16.689018 days | 8.204 km/s |
| Himalia | Large prograde irregular moon anchoring the Himalia family. | 85 km | 11,460,000 km | 0.16 | 250.56 days | 3.32 km/s |
| Pasiphae | Distant retrograde irregular moon representing Jupiter's outer captured populations. | 30 km | 23,600,000 km | 0.41 | 743.6 days | 2.2 km/s |
Catalog coverage
Recorded names and groups
Metis, Adrastea, Amalthea, Thebe, Io, Europa, Ganymede, Callisto, Himalia, Elara, Pasiphae, Sinope, Lysithea, Carme, Ananke, Leda, Callirrhoe, Themisto, Megaclite, Taygete, Chaldene, Harpalyke, Kalyke, Iocaste, Erinome, Isonoe, Praxidike, Autonoe, Thyone, Hermippe, Aitne, Eurydome, Euanthe, Euporie, Orthosie, Sponde, Kale, Pasithee, Hegemone, Mneme, Aoede, Thelxinoe, Arche, Kallichore, Helike, Carpo, Eukelade, Cyllene, Kore, Herse, Dia, Valetudo, Pandia, Ersa, S/2011 J 4, S/2011 J 5, S/2018 J 5, S/2024 J 1
Dense irregular and provisional moon populations are represented as catalog shell markers when compact per-moon orbital elements are not bundled into this static site. Counts are preserved so the system scale remains visible without overloading the browser.
Mathematical model
Natural-satellite orbital model
Moon-system simulations use local two-body approximations around the parent planet. The layout is computed from orbital periods, eccentricities, inclinations, and mean distances rather than from a reference image.
Period consistency
\[n=\frac{2\pi}{P}\]
Mean motion n is derived from orbital period P. The animation phase is therefore tied to the catalog period and remains internally consistent.
Inclined orbit plane
\[\mathbf{r}_{\mathrm{scene}}=R_x(i)\,\mathbf{r}_{\mathrm{orbit}}\]
Inclination i rotates the moon's local orbital plane. This proves the visible path is a transform of the mathematical orbit, not a freehand ring.
Verification standard: the rendered object must be reproducible from stated equations, catalog parameters, or explicit geometric transforms. Visual reference images may inform presentation only; they are not the source of orbital positions, field vectors, accretion-disk gradients, timing, or engineering layout.
Limitations: browser scenes may use bounded scale, compressed distances, simplified two-body dynamics, schematic transfer curves, or educational approximations where full numerical ephemerides, CFD, finite-element models, or general-relativistic ray tracing are outside the page scope. Those simplifications are part of the model contract, not hidden image-based construction.