The Galilean Satellites: Callisto

This film is the fourth of a four-part series dedicated to filmmaker Stan Brakhage. The inspiration for these films come from the incredible images and sounds coming from the Galileo space probe. The four large moons of Jupiter were thought to be nothing more interesting than our own moon- barren balls of rock. As optical technology advanced, we began to get a more interesting view of these bodies. The Voyager space probes sent back images that suggested that these worlds may be highly complex. The Galileo space probe images we have received of Callisto reveals a pumice-like moon. In the tradition of its Jupiter and its moons, this moon, receives the superlative of “most heavliy cratered body in the solar system.” Jupiter’s gravitational attraction frequently shields us from being bombarded by comets and meteors, but poor Callisto is right in the path!