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Bruce Murray Space Image Library

Europa Facing Jupiter

Europa Facing Jupiter
Europa Facing Jupiter This 12-frame mosaic provides the highest resolution view ever obtained of the side of Jupiter's moon Europa that faces the giant planet. It was obtained by the camera onboard NASA's Galileo spacecraft on November 25, 1999, during the spacecraft's 25th orbit of Jupiter.Numerous linear features in the center of the mosaic and toward the poles may have formed in response to tides strong enough to fracture Europa's icy surface. Some of these features extend for over 1,500 kilometers (900 miles). Darker regions near the equator on the eastern (right) and western (left) limbs may be vast areas of chaotic terrain. Bright white spots near the western limb are the ejecta blankets of young impact craters. NASA/JPL/University of Arizona