Ganymede Mosaic
Explanation:
Ganymede, one of
the four Galilean moons of Jupiter, is the largest moon
in the Solar System.
With a diameter of 5,260 kilometers it is even
larger than planets Mercury and Pluto
and just over three quarters the size of Mars.
Ganymede is locked in
synchronous rotation with Jupiter.
This detailed mosaic
of images from the Galileo spacecraft
shows the trailing hemisphere of this planet-sized moon.
Speckled with bright young craters, Ganymede's
surface shows a mixture of
old, dark, cratered
terrain and lighter regions laced with
grooves and ridges.
Ganymede's true colors tend toward subtle browns and grays, but
this mosaic's colors have been enhanced to increase surface contrasts.
The violet shades extending from the top and bottom are likely due
to frost particles in Ganymede's polar regions.
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.
