Images Dated 6th March 2000

Us-Jupiter-Io-Zal Patera

This combination of high-resolution black and white images taken by NASA's Galileo spacecraft 25 November 1999 and lower resolution color images taken by Galileo 03 July 1999 released 06 March 2000 by Nasa shows the Zal Patera region of Jupiter's volcanic moon Io. By combining both types of images, Galileo scientists can better understand the relationships between the different surface materials and the underlying geologic structures. For example, in the center toward the top of the picture, the edge of the caldera, or volcanic crater, is marked by the black flows, and it coincides with the edge of a plateau. Also, the red material (just above and to the right of the center of the image) is typically associated with regions where lava is erupting onto the surface. Here the red material follows the base of a mountain, which may indicate that sulfurous gases are escaping along a fault associated with the formation of the mountain. Scientists can use the lengths of the shadows cast to estimate the height of the mountains. They estimate that the northernmost plateau, which bounds the western edge of Zal Patera, rises up to to approximately 2 kilometers (6, 600 feet) high. The mountain to the south of the caldera has peaks up to approximately 4.6 kilometers (15, 000 feet) high, while the small peak at the bottom of the picture is approximately 4.2 kilometers (14, 000 feet) high. These images were taken on 25 November 1999 at a range of 26, 000 kilometers (16, 000 miles). The color images are illuminated from almost directly behind the Galileo spacecraft. The resolution of the color images is 1.3 kilometers (0.8 miles) per picture element. They were taken 03 July 1999 at a distance of about 130, 000 kilometers (81, 000 miles). AFP PHOTO/NASA / AFP PHOTO / NASA

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