These views of Callisto were taken in May 2001 by the Galileo spacecraft. The top insert shows the sharp, knobby terrain experiencing erosion. As they stand now, the knobs are about 80 to 100 meters (260 to 330 feet) tall. As these knobs erode and disappear, the terrain will look more and more like the bottom insert. The smallest features discernable in these images are about 3 meters (10 feet) across.
Click on image for full size
Courtesy of NASA/JPL/Arizona State University
Click on image for full size
Courtesy of NASA/JPL/Arizona State University
A Revealing Look at Callisto
News story originally written on September 5, 2001
The Galileo spacecraft has been in orbit around Jupiter for almost six years now. Earlier this spring, Galileo took these pictures of Callisto. Callisto is one of Jupiter's moons. Callisto is an icy moon about the same size as Mercury.
Galileo was only 86 miles (138 km) above the surface of Callisto when it took the pictures to the left. These are closer up than any other picture ever taken of any of Jupiter's moons. You can see things in these pictures that are just 10 feet (3 m) across! It's neat to think you can see hills and craters on Callisto even though it is so far away!
Last modified September 4, 2001 by Jennifer Bergman.
