PIA01972: Ganymede
 Target Name:  Ganymede
 Is a satellite of:  Jupiter
 Mission:  Voyager
 Spacecraft:  Voyager 2
 Instrument:  VG ISS - Narrow Angle
 Product Size:  800 x 800 pixels (w x h)
 Produced By:  JPL
 Producer ID:  P21751
 Addition Date:  1999-06-16
 Primary Data Set:  Voyager EDRs
 Full-Res TIFF:  PIA01972.tif (870.4 kB)
 Full-Res JPEG:  PIA01972.jpg (40.2 kB)

Click on the image above to download a moderately sized image in JPEG format (possibly reduced in size from original)

Original Caption Released with Image:

This Voyager 2 color photo of Ganymede, the largest Galilean satellite, was taken on July 7, 1979, from a range of 1.2 million kilometers. Most of this portion of Ganymede will be imaged at high resolution during closest approach with the satellite on the evening of July 8, 1979. The photo shows a large dark circular feature about 3200 kilometers in diameter with narrow closely-spaced light bands traversing its surface. The bright spots dotting the surface are relatively recent impact craters, while lighter circular areas may be older impact areas. The light branching bands are ridged and grooved terrain first seen on Voyager 1 and are younger than the more heavily cratered dark regions. The nature of the brightish region covering the northern part of the dark circular feature is uncertain, but it may be some type of condensate. Most of the features seen on the surface of Ganymede are probably both internal and external responses of the very thick icy layer which comprises the crust of this satellite.

Image Credit:
NASA/JPL

Image Addition Date:
1999-06-16