A Big Cliff on Jupiter's Callisto
Explanation:
Callisto's surface
is not without fault. In fact, an explorer crossing the surface
of this large moon of
Jupiter
would need climbing equipment to pass this large, recently discovered
fault. The
above picture
was released last week and was taken in November 1996 by the
robot spacecraft Galileo
currently orbiting
Jupiter.
As the
Sun illuminates
Callisto's
surface from the left, the
unusual cliff or scarp
stands out by the shadow it casts to the right. This cliff and
others were probably formed when a large object collided with
Callisto
early in its history. Of the many visible
craters
in the above photograph, the smallest visible is about a football
field across, while the largest is more than a kilometer.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
