2024-01-03 18:34:54
The Most Volcanic Object in the Solar System, Io, Photographed by Juno
On December 30, 2023, NASA’s Jupiter probe Juno completed the closest flyby of Io, the most volcanic object in the solar system, to date. The photos captured during the flyby have provided scientists with valuable new insights into Io’s volcanic activity.
The photos taken by Juno revealed that Io shimmers with a sulfur hue, and its surface features are mottled due to continuous volcanic activity. The spacecraft came within just 1,500 kilometers from Io’s surface, capturing stunningly detailed images that showcase Io’s active volcanoes and molten silicate lava lakes.
These new images are helping scientists to further understand the eruption frequency, brightness, and temperature of Io’s volcanoes, as well as changes in the shape of lava flows and their relationship with the flow of charged particles in Jupiter’s magnetosphere.
Io’s status as the celestial body with the most active volcanoes in the entire solar system is attributed to the gravitational interaction with Jupiter and its other large satellites, which generate huge tidal forces that cause the surface of Io to bend and undulate violently. This, in turn, leads to the eruption of active volcanoes spewing lava dozens of kilometers high.
Furthermore, particles from Io’s volcanic activity escape its thin atmosphere and are captured by Jupiter’s magnetic field, forming a ring of hot plasma around the planet. These findings emphasize the significance of Juno’s mission in gathering data that impacts the entire Jupiter system.
Juno is expected to make another close flyby of Io on February 3, 2023, about 1,500 kilometers from the surface. The spacecraft’s extended mission is set to end in September 2025, when it will plunge into Jupiter’s atmosphere, concluding nine years of research on the Jupiter system.
The photos taken by Juno have provided a groundbreaking look at Io’s volcanic activity, unlocking new knowledge about this fascinating celestial body and its impact on the larger Jupiter system. Join the official LINE account of “Science and Technology News” to stay up to date with the latest knowledge of the technology industry.
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