The Galileo Jupiter orbiter swooped to within 803km (500 miles) of the moon Ganymede on 20 May during a fly-by programme involving the four moons of Jupiter.
The programme has already included fly-bys of the spectacular moon, Io, the latest images of which have been released by NASA, showing a world of constantly erupting molten rock, multicoloured lava beds, superheated geysers and clouds of sulphurous gas.
Away from the volcanic action, temperatures drop to as low as -280˚C, but in the middle of a lava lake, they reach 3,000°C, representing the largest temperature range of any planet or moon in the solar system.
Source: Flight International
