A new 12-frame mosaic offers the highest resolution view ever seen Jupiter-facing side of Europa.
The images were first obtained Nov. 25, 1999 by the camera onboard the Galileo spacecraft, NASA reported. In the next mission to Europa, NASA will look for conditions suitable for life on Jupiter's moon. The equipment that will be used for the mission will be announced on NASA TV today. The new mission will likely consist of close fly-bys that will take place over a three-year period.
The new mosaic reveals numerous line features stretching towards Europa's poles that may have formed as a result of tides strong enough to crack the frozen surface. Some of these lines are up to 900 miles long. The mosaic also features what appears to be darker regions of "chaotic terrain," and bright white spots in the west that are believed to be ejecta from small impact craters. The northernmost region of the planet, featured at the top of the mosaic, is illuminated by the Sun.
The image is centered at 0 latitude and 10 longitude, and covers an area of about 1,550 by 1,860 miles. The images were taken by Galileo's camera from a distance of about 58,000 miles.
