Io

A confirmed moon in the Jupiter system.

Named · Jupiter I

Snapshot 2026-09-09 · catalog 1.0.0

Explore Io in Orrery

Physical measurements

Mean radius
1,821.49 ± 0.5 kmmeasured · Source estimate; uncertainty is the source-reported standard error when available.
GM · gravitational parameter
5,959.91547 ± 0.00135 km³ s⁻²measured · Source estimate; uncertainty is the source-reported standard error when available.
Mass
≈ 8.9296e+22 ± 2.0070e+18 kgderived · GM/G; independent standard uncertainties combined in quadrature. No uncertainty is invented when the source omits GM uncertainty.
Mean density
≈ 3.5276 ± 0.0029 g cm⁻³derived · JPL derives density from GM and volume-equivalent radius.

PCK reference shape axes: ≈ 1,829.4 × ≈ 1,819.4 × ≈ 1,815.7 km. These are model axes, not a mapped surface.

Orbit descriptions

Mean elements describe an average orbit. They are not positions for a chosen date.

JUP365 · Laplace plane · 2000-01-01.5 TDB
Semimajor axis
421,800 km
Sidereal period
1.76273 days
Eccentricity
0.004
Inclination to reference plane
0°
Argument of periapsis
49.1°
Mean anomaly
330.9°
Ascending node
0°
Apsidal / nodal precession periods
1.333 / 0 years
Reference-plane pole RA / Dec
268.1 / 64.5°
Plane tilt to parent equator
0°
Reference center
Not specified in this summary sourceThe summary table identifies a parent system but does not explicitly specify the reference center for each solution. Do not infer a physical-primary center, especially for Pluto’s circumbinary moons.

Orientation

NAIF-pck00011 supplies a modeled pole and prime meridian in the J2000 frame. A dated sky also needs compatible trajectories.

Pole right ascension
268.05, -0.009, 0
Pole declination
64.5, 0.003, 0
Prime meridian
200.39, 203.4889538, 0
Reference epoch
JD 2451545 TDB

Periodic corrections

RA and prime-meridian corrections multiply sine; declination corrections multiply cosine. Each row uses the same angle polynomial for its three corrections.

Term 1 · angle coefficients
73.32, 91472.9, 0RA: 0° · Dec: 0° · meridian: 0°
Term 2 · angle coefficients
24.62, 45137.2, 0RA: 0° · Dec: 0° · meridian: 0°
Term 3 · angle coefficients
283.9, 4850.7, 0RA: 0.094° · Dec: 0.04° · meridian: -0.085°
Term 4 · angle coefficients
355.8, 1191.3, 0RA: 0.024° · Dec: 0.011° · meridian: -0.022°

Identity & availability

Stable catalog ID
io
JPL / NAIF satellite ID
501
Names & designations
Io
Discovery / rediscovery years
1610Galileo

No validated dated trajectory admitted in catalog 1.0.0. Mean elements are not ephemerides.

No image or global texture admitted in this catalog release.No environment measurements admitted in this catalog release.

Sources & evidence

  1. JPL discovery circumstancestable tr[5] (zero-based); jupiter / Io · References: IAU WGPSN
  2. MPC satellite namesitems[77]; Jupiter 1
  3. JPL physical parameters#sat_phys_par; Jupiter / Io / NAIF 501; mean radius · References: 1
  4. JPL physical parameters#sat_phys_par; Jupiter / Io / NAIF 501; GM · References: JUP365
  5. NIST CODATA 2022Table of universal constants, Newtonian constant of gravitationVerified numeric transcription; see acquisition notes in the download.
  6. JPL physical parameters#sat_phys_par; Jupiter / Io / NAIF 501; density · References: *
  7. JPL mean orbital elements#sat_elem row ID=3; Jupiter / Io / NAIF 501 · References: 29
  8. NAIF PCK 00011BODY501_POLE_RA/POLE_DEC/PM/NUT_PREC_*; BODY5_NUT_PREC_ANGLES; active data blocks
  9. NAIF PCK 00011BODY501_RADII; active data block

Full catalog, uncertainty and source manifests · All Jupiter moons · Moon model limits