Ida's surface appears heavily cratered and mostly gray, although minor color variations mark newly formed or uncovered areas.
Besides craters, other features are evident, such as grooves, ridges, and protrusions.
Ida is covered by a thick layer of regolith, loose debris that obscures the solid rock beneath.
The largest, boulder-sized, debris fragments are called ejecta blocks, several of which have been observed on the surface.
Ida's surface appears heavily cratered and mostly gray, although minor color variations mark newly formed or uncovered areas. Besides craters, other features are evident, such as grooves, ridges, and protrusions. Ida is covered by a thick layer of regolith, loose debris that obscures the solid rock beneath. The largest, boulder-sized, debris fragments are called ejecta blocks, several of which have been observed on the surface.
243 Ida