The large dark oval region in the upper right is Galileo Regio |
|
| Type of feature | Regio |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 3,200 km |
| Eponym | Galileo Galilei |
Galileo Regio is a large, dark surface feature on Jupiter's moon Ganymede.
Contrary to the first impression, Galileo Regio is not an impact crater but a region of ancient dark material that has been broken apart by tectonism and is now surrounded by younger, brighter material that has been upwelling from Ganymede's interior. It is thought to be some 4 billion years old and is heavily cratered.
The regio is bounded on the south by the Uruk Sulcus region, which lies betwixt it and Marius Regio. Within Galileo Regio itself lies Memphis Facula.
1. Harland, D. M.; Jupiter Odyssey, Springer Praxis (2000), p. 141