What is F a l s e C o l o r ?


Galileo images of Jupiter's moons are dazzling portraits of alien worlds with exotic hues. But what do these colors mean, and what would those landscapes look like if you were to visit the Jupiter system and gaze out of your spacecraft window?

These pages will show you the real appearance of the Galilean satellites and explain the vivid colors used in the Galileo press release pictures. Follow the links below to discover how scientists use different color representations and image processing techniques to see more than meets the eye on these mysterious moons.

True Color: Starting from scratch.

  • A gallery of Galilean Satellites as they would appear to your eye.

    Enhanced Color: Stretching contrast.

    False Color: Seeing with infrared eyes.

    Pseudocolor: Discerning small brightness differences.