Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

December 23, 1996
See Explanation.  Clicking on the picture will download 
 the highest resolution version available.

The Hills of Ganymede
Credit:
The Galileo Project, NASA

Explanation: This computer generated 3D close-up view of Jupiter's large moon Ganymede was created using image data from NASA's Galileo spacecraft. Simulating stereo vision by combining two recent images recorded from different angles, 3 dimensional information was reconstructed for a section of Ganymede's surface. The result shows the furrows, craters, and hills in the region appropriately known as "Galileo Regio" with a resolution of about 250 feet. Currently exploring the Jovian System, the Galileo spacecraft just completed a flyby of Europa. It is scheduled to return to Ganymede in April next year.

Tomorrow's picture: A Mirry Christmas


< Archive | Index | Search | Glossary | Education | About APOD >

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (USRA)
NASA Technical Rep.: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA/ GSFC