Dactyl

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Original Caption Released with Image:

This image is the most detailed picture of Dactyl taken by the Galileo spacecraft's camera. The camera fortuitously captured the previously unknown moon at a range of about 3,900 kilometers (2,400 miles), just over 4 minutes before the spacecraft's closest approach to Ida.

More than a dozen craters larger than 80 meters (250 feet) in diameter are clearly evident, indicating that Dactyl has suffered numerous collisions from smaller solar system debris during its history. The larger crater on the terminator is about 300 meters (1,000 feet) across.

At the time this picture was taken, Ida was about 90 kilometers (56 miles) away from the moon, outside this frame to the left and slightly below center.

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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

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