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gryfter_13 t1_jb9lpez wrote

Reply to comment by Hattix in TIL the largest moon in our solar system, Ganymede, is larger than the planet of Mercury by Jugales

Don't tidal forces also play a role in keeping Ganymede's core liquid? Or is that Io's volcanic activity?

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MrLucky13 t1_jb9vexg wrote

I believe that's mostly Io. Isn't Ganymede the farthest of the big 4 from jupiter?

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Hattix t1_jbav6rq wrote

Callisto is the outer moon. Tidal effects on Ganymede are smaller than the other two of the Laplace resonance, it's both the outer (and so slower) and the least eccentric (0.0011).

Callisto isn't part of that resonance.

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Hattix t1_jbauvo9 wrote

Tidal effects from the other large moons (mostly Europa) would help, as would tides from Jupiter.

The Laplace resonance, however, dumps most of its excess energy into the inner moon, which orbits the fastest.

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