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PHOTO CAPTION
P-48526
April 9, 1997

This high resolution image shows the ice-rich crust of Europa, one of the
moons of Jupiter. Seen here are crustal plates ranging up to 13 kilometers
(8 miles) across, which have been broken apart and "rafted" into new
positions, superficially resembling the disruption of pack-ice on polar seas
during spring thaws on Earth. The size and geometry of these features
suggest that motion was enabled by ice-crusted water or soft ice close to
the surface at the time of disruption.

The area shown is about 34 kilometers by 42 kilometers (21 miles by 26
miles), centered at 9.4 degrees north latitude, 274 degrees west longitude,
and the resolution is 54 meters (59 yards). This picture was taken by the
Solid State Imaging system on board the Galileo spacecraft on February 20,
1997, from a distance of 5,340 kilometers (3,320 miles) during the
spacecraft's close flyby of Europa.

Launched in October 1989, Galileo entered orbit around Jupiter on December
7, 1995. The spacecraft's mission is to conduct detailed studies of the
giant planet, its largest moons and the Jovian magnetic environment. The Jet
Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA manages the mission for NASA's Office of
Space Science, Washington, DC.