GALILEO FIRST IMAGES OF JUPITER AND THE GALILEAN SATELLITES

The first images of Jupiter, Io, Europa, and Ganymede from the Galileo spacecraft reveal new information about Jupiter's Great Red Spot (GRS ) and the surfaces of the Galilean satellites. Features similar to clu sters of thunderstorms were found in the GRS. Nearby wave structures s uggest that the GRS may be a shallow atmospheric feature. Changes in s urface color and plume distribution indicate differences in resurfacin g processes near hot spots on to. Patchy emissions were seen while lo was in eclipse by Jupiter. The outer margins of prominent linear marki ngs (triple bands) on Europa are diffuse, suggesting that material has been vented from fractures. Numerous small circular craters indicate localized areas of relatively old surface. Pervasive brittle deformati on of an ice layer appears to have formed grooves on Ganymede. Dark te rrain unexpectedly shows distinctive albedo variations to the limit of resolution.