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Jupiter’s Ring System (Galileo)

Grayscale image of Jupiter’s main ring and halo at right. Its gossamer ring extends fully to the left side as a horizontal, hazy band.

All three components of Jupiter’s ring system are captured in this image from NASA’s Galileo spacecraft: the flat main ring, the halo that is interior to the main ring, and the diffuse outer gossamer ring. The gossamer ring is shown stretching the width of this mosaic image (and continuing beyond), with the main ring and halo on the right-hand side. The image is purposely overexposed to accentuate the faint gossamer ring. The images were obtained when Galileo was in Jupiter’s shadow, peering back toward the Sun.

About the Data

Instrument
InstrumentThe science instrument used to produce the data.
Galileo: Solid-State Imaging
Exposure Dates
Exposure DatesThe date(s) that the telescope made its observations and the total exposure time.
9 November 1996
Filters
FiltersThe camera filters that were used in the science observations.
601 clear filter

Object Name
Object NameA name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object.
Gossamer Ring
Object Description
Object DescriptionThe type of astronomical object.
Jupiter's Rings
Release Date
July 31, 2020
Science Release
NASA’s Webb Telescope Will Study Jupiter, its Rings, and Two Intriguing Moons
Read the release
Credit
Image: NASA, NASA-JPL, Cornell University

Downloads

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