|
Collection:
|
|
NASA Planetary Photo Journal Collection
Collection
NASA Planetary Photo Journal Collection
Collection
|
|
Title:
|
|
Callisto Cutaway with Ocean
Title
Callisto Cutaway with Ocean
Title
|
|
Original Caption Released with Image:
|
This artist's concept, a cutaway view of Jupiter's moon Callisto, is based on recent data from NASA's Galileo spacecraft which indicates a salty ocean may lie beneath Callisto's icy crust. These findings come as a surprise, since scientists previously believed that Callisto was relatively inactive. If Callisto has an ocean, that would make it more like another Jovian moon, Europa, which has yielded numerous hints of a subsurface ocean. Despite the tantalizing suggestion that there is an ocean layer on Callisto, the possibility that there is life in the ocean remains remote. Callisto's cratered surface lies at the top of an ice layer, (depicted here as a whitish band), which is estimated to be about 200 kilometers (124 miles) thick. Immediately beneath the ice, the thinner blue band represents the possible ocean, whose depth must exceed 10 kilometers (6 miles), according to scientists studying data from Galileo's magnetometer. The mottled interior is composed of rock and ice. Galileo's magnetometer, which studies magnetic fields around Jupiter and its moons, revealed that Callisto's magnetic field is variable. This may be caused by varying electrical currents flowing near Callisto's surface, in response to changes in the background magnetic field as Jupiter rotates. By studying the data, scientists have determined that the most likely place for the currents to flow would be a layer of melted ice with a high salt content. These findings were based on information gathered during Galileo's flybys of Callisto in November 1996, and June and September of 1997. JPL manages the Galileo mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, DC. This artist's concept and other images and data received from Galileo are posted on the World Wide Web on the Galileo mission home page at http://galileo.jpl.…. Background information and educational context for the images can be found at http://www.jpl.nasa…
Original_Caption_Rel eased_with_Image
This artist's concept, a cutaway view of Jupiter's moon Callisto, is based on recent data from NASA's Galileo spacecraft which indicates a salty ocean may lie beneath Callisto's icy crust. These findings come as a surprise, since scientists previously believed that Callisto was relatively inactive. If Callisto has an ocean, that would make it more like another Jovian moon, Europa, which has yielded numerous hints of a subsurface ocean. Despite the tantalizing suggestion that there is an ocean layer on Callisto, the possibility that there is life in the ocean remains remote. Callisto's cratered surface lies at the top of an ice layer, (depicted here as a whitish band), which is estimated to be about 200 kilometers (124 miles) thick. Immediately beneath the ice, the thinner blue band represents the possible ocean, whose depth must exceed 10 kilometers (6 miles), according to scientists studying data from Galileo's magnetometer. The mottled interior is composed of rock and ice. Galileo's magnetometer, which studies magnetic fields around Jupiter and its moons, revealed that Callisto's magnetic field is variable. This may be caused by varying electrical currents flowing near Callisto's surface, in response to changes in the background magnetic field as Jupiter rotates. By studying the data, scientists have determined that the most likely place for the currents to flow would be a layer of melted ice with a high salt content. These findings were based on information gathered during Galileo's flybys of Callisto in November 1996, and June and September of 1997. JPL manages the Galileo mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, DC. This artist's concept and other images and data received from Galileo are posted on the World Wide Web on the Galileo mission home page at http://galileo.jpl.…. Background information and educational context for the images can be found at http://www.jpl.nasa…Original Caption Released with Image
|
|
Addition Date:
|
|
1998-10-21
Addition_Date
1998-10-21
Addition Date
|
|
Produced By:
|
|
JPL
Produced_By
JPL
Produced By
|
|
Mission:
|
|
Galileo
|
|
Spacecraft:
|
|
Galileo Orbiter
Spacecraft
Galileo Orbiter
Spacecraft
|
|
Target Name:
|
|
Callisto
Target_Name
Callisto
Target Name
|
|
Is a satellite of:
|
|
Jupiter
Is_a_satellite_of
Jupiter
Is a satellite of
|
|
Product Size:
|
|
2220 samples x 1700 lines
Product_Size
2220 samples x 1700 lines
Product Size
|
|
Primary Data Set:
|
|
Galileo EDRs
Primary_Data_Set
Galileo EDRs
Primary Data Set
|
|
Producer ID:
|
|
MRPS93743
Producer_ID
MRPS93743
Producer ID
|
|
facet_what:
|
|
Moon
facet_what
Moon
facet_what
|
|
facet_what:
|
|
Jupiter
facet_what
Jupiter
facet_what
|
|
facet_what:
|
|
Galileo
facet_what
Galileo
facet_what
|
|
facet_what:
|
|
Galileo Orbiter
facet_what
Galileo Orbiter
facet_what
|
|
facet_what:
|
|
Europa
facet_what
Europa
facet_what
|
|
facet_what:
|
|
Callisto
facet_what
Callisto
facet_what
|
|
facet_what:
|
|
Magnetometer
facet_what
Magnetometer
facet_what
|
|
facet_where:
|
|
Jupiter
facet_where
Jupiter
facet_where
|
|
facet_where:
|
|
Europa
facet_where
Europa
facet_where
|
|
facet_where:
|
|
Callisto
facet_where
Callisto
facet_where
|
|
facet_where:
|
|
Washington
facet_where
Washington
facet_where
|
|
facet_where:
|
|
Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
facet_where
Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
facet_where
|
|
facet_when:
|
|
1997
facet_when
1997
facet_when
|
|
facet_when:
|
|
November 1996
facet_when
November 1996
facet_when
|
|
facet_when_year:
|
|
1996
facet_when_year
1996
facet_when_year
|
|
facet_when_year:
|
|
1997
facet_when_year
1997
facet_when_year
|
|
Image #:
|
|
PIA01478
|
|
UID:
|
|
SPD-PHOTJ-PIA01478
UID
SPD-PHOTJ-PIA01478
UID
|
|
orignial url:
|
orignial_url
orignial url
|
