Thanks for your response to the previous Photo Contests. Check out the winners!

On December 18, 1996, Galileo will fly just 692 km (429 miles) above Europa's surface. This is about 300 times closer than either of the Voyager spacecraft came to Europa, with a corresponding increase in the level of detail that should be visible. 75% of Europa's surface was imaged only at low resolution when the Voyagers flew by in 1979 (at 12-23 km per pixel resolution). Selected images will be 100 to 500 times more detailed than Voyager, and 10 to 50 times better than the best Galileo has taken to date. So we expect some big surprises when we look at the close up images we will take when Galileo is closest to Europa! Scientists are very interested in Europa because there is evidence of a possible liquid water or slushy ocean underneath the icy surface, which may support conditions favorable to life.

You can join in the surprise and wonderment of what we'll find about the icy surface of Europa! This contest will help you consider the similarities between two places on Europa -the large macula (crater) and the dark terrain area - and on Earth.

To enter the contest, first read more about Large Macula or the Dark Terrain area. (Click here for information on the moon Europa.)

Then, send us your photograph or slide of someplace on Earth which you think will most closely represent one of the regions to be revealed during the flyby, together with your reasons for choosing that place.

Bosumtwi, Ghana

Your entry should be sent by regular or electronic mail and postmarked by February 10, 1997. Click here for more detailed contest rules.

Winners will be announced on this Web site in mid-February. Watch this page for further details.

If your entry is chosen as the winner for either region, the winning photograph will appear on this Galileo Web Site, for the world to see! In addition, we will send you a complete set of lithographs collected by Galileo on this orbit around Jupiter's system, and a certificate of recognition for your achievement!

Those in the northern hemisphere can enjoy their winter wonderlands this holiday season with a new eye - look for those snow and ice formations that you think just might look like this otherworldly moon that Galileo will explore this month!

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