Timeline of discovery of Solar System planets and their moons

This timeline of discovery of Solar System planets and their natural satellites charts the progress of the discovery of new bodies over history.

Historically the naming of natural satellites did not always match the times of their discovery.

In the following tables, planetary satellites are indicated in bold type (e.g. Moon) while planets, major or minor, which directly circle the Sun are in italic type (e.g. "Earth"). The tables are sorted by publication/announcement date. Dates are annotated with the following symbols:
*"i:" for date of first imaging (photography, etc.);
*"o:" for date of first human visual observation, either through telescope or on photographic plate (the true "discovery" moment);
*"p:" for date of announcement or publication.

"*Note: Marked moons had complicated discoveries. Several moons took several years to be confirmed, and in several cases were actually lost and rediscovered. Others were found in Voyager photographs years after they were taken.";Color legendThe planets and their natural satellites are marked in the following colors:;Planets;Dwarf planets

Prehistory

19th century

21st century

References

ee also

*Naming of natural satellites
*Timeline of solar system astronomy

External links

* [http://www.hudsonfla.com/space.htm City of Hudson's Natural Satellite Page]
* [http://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/append7.html Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature]
* [http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/~sheppard/satellites Scott Sheppard's Giant Planet Satellite Page]
* [http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sat_discovery.html JPL Natural Satellite Discovery Data]
* James L. Hilton, [http://aa.usno.navy.mil/hilton/AsteroidHistory/minorplanets.html When did the asteroids Become Minor Planets?]

Solar System moons (compact)