Callisto Enhanced
Explanation:
Callisto
is half rock and half ice. This moon of
Jupiter is approximately the size of the planet
Mercury, making it the third largest moon in the
Solar System, after
Ganymede and
Titan.
Callisto's icy surface is
billions of years old, lacks any sign of
volcanic activity,
and is densely covered with rifts and craters.
These features are particularly apparent in
this contrast-enhanced image
taken by the
Galileo spacecraft, and released last week.
Visible near the image center is
Valhalla, one of the largest impact craters in the
Solar System, measuring about 4,000 kilometers across.
The rings and size of
Valhalla make its appearance similar to the
Caloris Impact Basin on Mercury.
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.
