Voyager 2 Image of Ganymede

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OFFICE OF PUBLIC INFORMATION
JET PROPULSION LABORATORY
CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA. TELEPHONE (818) 354-5011

PHOTO CAPTION
Voyager 2-40
P-21771 B/W
July 11, 1979

Ancient cratered terrain on Jupiter's giant satellite Ganymede is portrayed here from a distance of 85,000 kilometers (53,000 miles). The picture was taken late on July 8 by Voyager 2 as it approached Jupiter. A large variety of impact craters of different ages are shown. The brightest craters are the youngest. The ejecta blankets fade with age. Shown in the center is a bright patch that represents the rebounding of the floor of the crater. The dirty ice has lost all topography except for faint circular patterns. Also shown are the "Callisto type" curved troughs and ridges that mark an ancient enormous impact basin. The basin itself has been destroyed by later geologic processes. Only the ring features are preserved on the ancient surface. Near the bottom of the picture, these curved features are truncated by the younger grooved terrain.

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