2000 June 20
If Ganymede orbited the Sun, it would be considered a planet.
The reason is that
Jupiter's moon
Ganymede is not only the largest moon in the
Solar System, it is larger than planets
Mercury and
Pluto.
The
robot spacecraft Galileo currently orbiting
Jupiter has been able to zoom by
Ganymede several times and snap many close-up pictures.
Ganymede,
shown above in its natural colors, sports a
large oval dark region known as
Galileo Regio.
In general, the dark regions on
Ganymede are heavily cratered,
implying they are very old, while the light regions
are younger and dominated by
unusual grooves.
The origin of the
grooves is still
under investigation.