The moon Ganymede seen by SPHERE

This image shows Jupiter’s icy moon Ganymede captured July 21, 2021 in the infrared using the SPHERE instrument on ESO’s Very Large Telescope. The different coloured regions provide clues to the composition and history of the moon. The bright regions, that consist mainly of water in the form of ice with hints of various salts, are believed to have formed more recently than the older darker patches, whose composition still remains a mystery.

For more information about the science behind this image check this Picture of the Week.

Credit:

ESO/King & Fletcher

About the Image

Id:potw2241d
Type:Planetary
Release date:10 October 2022, 06:00
Size:1943 x 1943 px

About the Object

Name:Ganymede
Type:Solar System : Planet : Satellite
Category:Solar System

Image Formats

Large JPEG
160.2 KB
Screensize JPEG
58.8 KB

Zoomable


Wallpapers

1024x768
65.1 KB
1280x1024
87.1 KB
1600x1200
112.0 KB
1920x1200
122.8 KB
2048x1536
155.7 KB

Colours & filters

BandWavelengthTelescope
Infrared
K2
2.251 μmVery Large Telescope
SPHERE
Infrared
K1
2.11 μmVery Large Telescope
SPHERE