The Solar System - Word Search - PUZZLE #12 GANYMEDE - August 2025

PUZZLE #12 - GANYMEDE 

IN-CONTEXT WORD DEFINITIONS

GANYMEDE: GANYMEDE is one of the four Galilean moons of Jupiter, discovered by Galileo Galilei in 1610. It’s a rocky–icy world with a complex surface and internal structure.

Magnetic Field: Ganymede is the only moon known to have its own magnetic field, likely generated by motion in its liquid metallic core. This field interacts with Jupiter’s powerful magnetosphere.

Cupbearer: refers to the role of Ganymede in ancient Greek mythology, where he was a divine youth chosen by Zeus to serve as the cupbearer of the gods on Mount Olympus. As cupbearer, Ganymede was responsible for pouring and serving nectar and ambrosia—the drink and food of the gods. This mythological association is the origin of the name for Ganymede, the largest moon of Jupiter, which was discovered by Simon Marius and Galileo Galilei in 1610 and later named after this figure from classical mythology.

Core: Ganymede has a metallic core, primarily made of iron and nickel, which helps generate its internal magnetic field — a rare feature for a moon.

Mantle: Above the core lies Ganymede’s mantle, composed mostly of silicate rock. This rocky layer plays a role in the moon’s internal structure and heat distribution.

Crust: Ganymede's crust is made of ice, and it's crisscrossed by ridges, grooves, and impact craters. This icy crust floats atop the deeper ocean and rocky interior.

Silicate: Ganymede contains a large amount of silicate rock, especially in its mantle and core. These rocky materials give the moon a higher density compared to purely icy bodies.

Grooves: Grooves are long, parallel ridges on Ganymede’s surface, likely caused by tectonic forces and stretching of its icy crust. They create bright, grooved terrain that contrasts with older, darker regions.

Aurora: Ganymede has auroras — glowing bands of light near its poles — created by interactions between its magnetic field and charged particles from Jupiter’s magnetosphere.

Secret Word: Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer is a European Space Agency mission launched in 2023 to study Jupiter’s moons, with a major focus on Ganymede. It will enter orbit around Ganymede in the 2030s to explore its ocean, surface, and magnetic field.