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 14 moons whose names start with the letter E. 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.
| Moon Name | Planet | Name Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Eggther | Saturn | A Jötunn (giant) who raises wolves |
| Eirene | Jupiter | Personification of Peace. One of the Horae. |
| Elara | Jupiter | Mortal princess, daughter of king Orchomenus and mother of the giant Tytios. |
| Enceladus | Saturn | One of the Gigantes (giants). Son of Gaia (Earth) and Uranus (Sky) |
| Epimetheus | Saturn | One of the Titans. Brother of Prometheus |
| Erinome | Jupiter | In her story, Venus compelled her to fall in love with Jupiter to ruin her. |
| Erriapus | Saturn | A giant in Gaulish (Celtic) mythology |
| Ersa | Jupiter | Personification of dew. Daughter of Zeus and the Moon (Selene). Also known as Herse. |
| Euanthe | Jupiter | See above |
| Eukelade | Jupiter | Also written as Eucelade. One of the muses |
| Eupheme | Jupiter | Greek spirit of words of good omen, praise, and acclaims. |
| Euporie | Jupiter | Also known as Euporia. Greek goddess of abundance. |
| Europa | Jupiter | Mother of king Minos of Crete |
| Eurydome | Jupiter | Also known as Eurynome or Euanthe. Mother of the Graces, goddesses of charm, beauty, goodwill, and creativity |
Eggther
Saturn’s moon Eggther was discovered in 2019 by Scott S. Sheppard’s team at the Carnegie Institution for Science. This small irregular satellite is roughly 4 kilometers in diameter and orbits Saturn at an average distance of about 20 million kilometers. Named after the Norse giant who was known for raising wolves, this moon follows a retrograde orbit, meaning it moves in the opposite direction of Saturn’s rotation.
Eirene
Discovered in 2003 by Scott S. Sheppard and his team, Eirene is one of Jupiter’s many irregular satellites. With an estimated diameter of about 4 kilometers, it was named after the Greek goddess of peace and one of the Horae (Hours), who were the goddesses of order and natural justice. It follows a retrograde orbit at an average distance of 23.5 million kilometers from Jupiter.
Elara
Elara is one of Jupiter’s larger irregular satellites, discovered by Charles Dillon Perrine at Lick Observatory in 1905. With a diameter of about 80 kilometers, it’s notably reddish in color. Named after one of Zeus’s lovers, the mortal princess who bore the giant Tityos, Elara orbits Jupiter at an average distance of 11.7 million kilometers and is part of the Himalia group of moons.
Enceladus
One of Saturn’s most fascinating moons, Enceladus was discovered by William Herschel in 1789. This 504-kilometer-diameter ice world is known for its dramatic geysers of water ice shooting from its south polar region. Named after one of the Giants from Greek mythology, Enceladus harbors a global subsurface ocean beneath its icy crust, making it one of the most promising locations for potential extraterrestrial life in our solar system.
Epimetheus
Discovered by Richard Walker in 1966, Epimetheus is one of Saturn’s inner satellites, famous for its unique orbital relationship with Janus. These two moons share nearly identical orbits and periodically swap positions, making them the only known example of co-orbital moons. Named after the Titan brother of Prometheus, Epimetheus is heavily cratered and measures about 116 kilometers across.
Erinome
A small irregular satellite of Jupiter discovered in 2000 by Scott S. Sheppard and his team. With an estimated diameter of only 3.2 kilometers, Erinome follows a retrograde orbit at an average distance of 23.3 million kilometers from Jupiter. Its name comes from Greek mythology, where Erinome was a figure whom Venus cursed to fall in love with Jupiter.
Erriapus
Discovered in 2000 by Brett Gladman and his team, Erriapus is an irregular satellite of Saturn measuring approximately 10 kilometers in diameter. Named after a giant from Gaulish mythology, it follows a prograde orbit at an average distance of 17.6 million kilometers from Saturn. Its reddish color suggests it might be a captured asteroid.
Ersa
A small Jovian moon discovered in 2018 by Scott S. Sheppard’s team. Named after the Greek goddess of dew and daughter of Zeus and Selene, Ersa is approximately 3 kilometers in diameter. It belongs to the Carme group of irregular satellites and orbits Jupiter at an average distance of 23.2 million kilometers.
Eukelade
Discovered in 2003 by Scott S. Sheppard and his team, Eukelade is one of Jupiter’s irregular satellites. With an estimated diameter of 4 kilometers, it follows a retrograde orbit at an average distance of 23.4 million kilometers from Jupiter. Its name, sometimes written as Eucelade, comes from one of the Muses in Greek mythology.
Eupheme
A small irregular satellite of Jupiter discovered in 2003 by Scott S. Sheppard’s team. Named after the Greek spirit of words of good omen and praise, Eupheme is approximately 2 kilometers in diameter and follows a retrograde orbit at an average distance of 20.8 million kilometers from Jupiter.
Euporie
Another member of Jupiter’s irregular satellites, Euporie was discovered in 2001 by Scott S. Sheppard and his team. Named after the Greek goddess of abundance, this small moon is roughly 2 kilometers in diameter and follows a retrograde orbit at an average distance of 19.3 million kilometers from Jupiter.
Europa
One of Jupiter’s four largest moons (Galilean satellites), Europa was discovered by Galileo Galilei in 1610. This 3,121.6-kilometer-diameter moon is slightly smaller than Earth’s Moon and features a smooth, icy surface crisscrossed with cracks. Named after a Phoenician princess who was one of Zeus’s lovers, Europa is believed to harbor a global subsurface ocean beneath its icy crust, making it another prime candidate for potential extraterrestrial life.
Eurydome
Discovered in 2001 by Scott S. Sheppard’s team, Eurydome is one of Jupiter’s irregular satellites. Named after one of the Graces (also known as Charities) in Greek mythology, it measures approximately 3 kilometers in diameter. Following a retrograde orbit at an average distance of 22.8 million kilometers from Jupiter, it’s a member of the Pasiphae group of moons.
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.