Image Title: Galileo Imaging of Jupiter's Rings Target Name: J Rings Is a satellite of: Jupiter Mission: Galileo Spacecraft: Galileo Orbiter Instrument: Solid State Imaging Produced By: Cornell University Creation Date: 1998-09-15 Primary Data Set: Galileo EDRs Full-Res JPEG: R03_sequence_full.jpg (178 kbytes)

Original Caption Released with Image:

Some three dozen separate images of Jupiter's ring system were obtained during Galileo's nominal, two year mission. Ring images were acquired in November 1996 during the spacecraft's third orbit of Jupiter, in May 1997 during the eighth orbit, in October 1997 during the tenth orbit, and in November 1997 during the eleventh orbit. The image sequences were designed to investigate the shape and extent of the three primary ring components, the halo, the main ring, and the gossamer rings, as well as to better understand the size of the particles which form the rings.

This drawing shows the design of four sequences, each containing several images. The individual rectangular frames (blue boxes) overlay a sketch of the expected ring. Given the rings' large physical scale, data frames often were mathematically compressed or physically trimmed so as to best use the resources available for storing images and transmitting them back to Earth.

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA manages the Galileo mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, DC.

This image and other images and data received from Galileo are posted on the World Wide Web, on the Galileo mission home page at URL http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/galileo. Background information and educational context for the images can be found at: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/galileo/sepo.

Image Note:

This page is not a Planetary PhotoJournal release, but is an illustration provided by the Galileo imaging (SSI) team as further background for other releases of imaging data.

Return to Galilean Satellites Page

Return to SSI Education and Public Outreach Homepage

Galileo Solid State Imaging Team Leader: Dr. Michael J. S. Belton

The SSI Education and Public Outreach webpages were originally created and managed by Matthew Fishburn and Elizabeth Alvarez with significant assistance from Kelly Bender, Ross Beyer, Detrick Branston, Stephanie Lyons, Eileen Ryan, and Nalin Samarasinha.

Last updated: September 17, 1999, by Matthew Fishburn

Return to Project Galileo Homepage