Pioneer Images of Ganymede

Pioneer 10 was launched in March 1972 and flew through the Jovian system in December 1973. Pioneer 11 was launched in April 1973 and flew by Jupiter and its moon in December 1974. These are the best images of Ganymede taken by Pioneer 10 and 11.

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Spacecraft: Pioneer 10
Date: December 1973

This image shows a surface of contrasting light and darks spots on the surface.

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Spacecraft: Pioneer 11
Date: December 2, 1974
Distance from Ganymede: 459,000 miles (739,000 km)
Photo Number: C5-1/2

The left image is a color composite taken by Pioneer 11, the right image is the same image enhanced by computer processing. The pixel resolution is 367 pixels/km. These images show very little color variation, but there is substantial albedo differences over the satellite's disk.

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