What are the four brightest moons of Jupiter commonly referred to as?

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The four brightest moons of Jupiter are commonly referred to as the Galilean moons. This designation comes from the famous astronomer Galileo Galilei, who discovered these moons in 1610. The Galilean moons consist of Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto, each of which has unique characteristics. For example, Io is known for its intense volcanic activity, Europa is believed to have an ocean beneath its icy surface, Ganymede is the largest moon in the solar system, and Callisto has a heavily cratered surface.

The terms Jovian satellites and celestial bodies refer to other aspects of moons or celestial phenomena but do not specifically highlight the historical significance and recognition of these particular four moons as the Galilean moons. Terrestrial moons typically refer to the natural satellites of rocky planets like Earth, which are quite different in nature and composition from the Galilean moons of the gas giant Jupiter.

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