JupiterSystem-050107_09.jpgThe "Galilean Family" of Jupiter88 visiteThis montage shows the best views of Jupiter's four large and diverse "Galilean" satellites as seen by the Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) on the New Horizons spacecraft during its flyby of Jupiter in late February 2007. The four moons are, from left to right: Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto. The images have been scaled to represent the true relative sizes of the four moons and are arranged in their order from Jupiter.
Io, 3,640 kilometers (2,260 miles) in diameter, was imaged at 03:50 Universal Time on February 28 from a range of 2.7 million kilometers (1.7 million miles). The original image scale was 13 kilometers per pixel, and the image is centered at Io coordinates 6 degrees south, 22 degrees west. Io is notable for its active volcanism, which New Horizons has studied extensively.
Europa, 3,120 kilometers (1,938 miles) in diameter, was imaged at 01:28 Universal Time on February 28 from a range of 3 million kilometers (1.8 million miles). The original image scale was 15 kilometers per pixel, and the image is centered at Europa coordinates 6 degrees south, 347 degrees west. Europa's smooth, icy surface likely conceals an ocean of liquid water. New Horizons obtained data on Europa’s surface composition and imaged subtle surface features, and analysis of these data may provide new information about the ocean and the icy shell that covers it.
New Horizons spied Ganymede, 5,262 kilometers (3,268 miles) in diameter, at 10:01 Universal Time on February 27 from 3.5 million kilometers (2.2 million miles) away. The original scale was 17 kilometers per pixel, and the image is centered at Ganymede coordinates 6 degrees south, 38 degrees west. Ganymede, the largest moon in the solar system, has a dirty ice surface cut by fractures and peppered by impact craters. New Horizons’ infrared observations may provide insight into the composition of the moon’s surface and interior.
Callisto, 4,820 kilometers (2,995 miles) in diameter, was imaged at 03:50 Universal Time on February 28 from a range of 4.2 million kilometers (2.6 million miles). The original image scale was 21 kilometers per pixel, and the image is centered at Callisto coordinates 4 degrees south, 356 degrees west. Scientists are using the infrared spectra New Horizons gathered of Callisto’s ancient, cratered surface to calibrate spectral analysis techniques that will help them to understand the surfaces of Pluto and its moon Charon when New Horizons passes them in 2015.
MareKromium
|
|
Jupiter_s System-PIA01481.jpgJupiter's (Main) System66 visiteCaption NASA originale:"Jupiter and its four planet-size moons, called the Galilean Satellites, were photographed in early March by Voyager 1 and assembled into this collage. They are not to scale but are in their relative positions. (...) Nine other much smaller satellites circle Jupiter, one inside Io's orbit and the other millions of miles from the Planet.
Not visible is Jupiter's faint ring of particles, seen for the first time by Voyager 1".
|
|
The Galileans~0.jpgThe "Galileans"57 visiteIo, the large volcanic satellite of Jupiter, was first shown to the World in images transmitted from the Voyager 1 Spacecraft.
Unfortunately their cameras had no red filters and color pictures often had to be extrapolated substituting orange for red and violet for blue.
In the case of Io, this led to a garish 'pizza' appearance with many reproductions of the released images further wandering toward the red until Io looked like tomato soup!
Io is very bright, and largely a pale yellow with gray green to orange regions. Galileo has greatly refined the color information from Io. The albedo of Io (il primo a Sx) is a bright 0,6, while Europa (the brightest) is 0,64. Ganymede's albedo is just 0,42 and then - last - the dark Callisto is only 0,2.
|
|
|
