There are 288 discovered natural satellites – or moons, as they are colloquially known – in the Solar system. Most of these are found in the outer gas giants. However, many of these have not received proper names as they were discovered recently and have yet to be confirmed. Only 164 moons have proper names.
Out of those, there are 6 moons whose names start with the letter D. These are all listed in the following table. Below you will also find some additional details about each, including physical characteristics, the original meaning of their names, etc.
| Name | Planet | Name Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Daphnis | Saturn | A Sicilian shepherd, descendant of the Titans |
| Deimos | Mars | Greek god of dread and terror |
| Desdemona | Uranus | Named after a character in Shakespeare’s play Othello |
| Despina | Neptune | Also known as Despoina. One of Poseidon’s daughters |
| Dia | Jupiter | Daughter of Deioneus, wife of Ixion |
| Dione | Saturn | One of the Titans |
Daphnis
Discovered in 2005 by the Cassini Imaging Team, Daphnis is a small moon of Saturn named after a Sicilian shepherd in Greek mythology. With a diameter of about 8 km, it orbits within the Keeler Gap in Saturn’s A Ring. Daphnis creates waves in the edges of the gap as it orbits, due to its gravitational influence on nearby ring particles.
Deimos
Deimos, discovered in 1877 by Asaph Hall, is the smaller and outermost of Mars’ two moons. Named after the Greek god of dread and terror, it has a diameter of just 12.6 km. Deimos orbits Mars every 30.3 hours at a distance of about 23,460 km. Its surface is heavily cratered and covered in regolith, giving it a smooth appearance.
Desdemona
Desdemona is an inner moon of Uranus discovered in 1986 by the Voyager 2 spacecraft. Named after the tragic heroine in Shakespeare’s play “Othello,” it has a diameter of about 64 km. Desdemona orbits within Uranus’ synchronous orbit radius and is expected to eventually spiral inward due to tidal deceleration.
Despina
Despina, discovered in 1989 by the Voyager 2 spacecraft, is the third-closest inner moon of Neptune. Named after a daughter of Poseidon (also known as Despoina), it has a diameter of about 150 km. Despina may act as a shepherd moon, helping to confine Neptune’s Adams ring. Its surface is likely composed of water ice with rocky material.
Dia
Dia is a small, irregular moon of Jupiter discovered in 2000 by a team led by Scott S. Sheppard. Named after a figure in Greek mythology who was the daughter of Deioneus and wife of Ixion, it has an estimated diameter of 4 km. Dia is a member of the Himalia group and orbits Jupiter in a prograde direction, taking about 287 days to complete one orbit.
Dione
Dione, discovered in 1684 by Giovanni Cassini, is the fourth-largest moon of Saturn. Named after one of the Titans in Greek mythology, it has a diameter of 1123 km. Dione’s surface features heavily cratered areas alongside lightly cratered plains and a network of ice cliffs. It may have a subsurface ocean, making it a potential habitat for microbial life.
Click on a letter below for a list of moons that begin with it.
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
Related:
For more on how moons are named check out this article.