Callisto Enhanced
Callisto
is half rock and half ice. This moon of
Jupiter is approximately the size of the planet Mercury, making it the third largest moon in the
Solar System, after
Ganymede and Titan.
Callisto's icy surface is
billions of years old, lacks any sign of
volcanic activity,
and is densely covered with rifts and craters.
These features are particularly apparent in this contrast-enhanced image
taken by the
Galileo spacecraft, and released last week.
Visible near the image center is Valhalla, one of the largest impact craters in the
Solar System, measuring about 4,000 kilometers across.
The rings and size of Valhalla make its appearance similar to the
Caloris Impact Basin on Mercury.