NASA's Juno Probe Captures Stunning Images of Io's Volcanic Activity
During the flyby on February 3, Juno dipped to within 930 miles (1,500 kilometers) of Io's surface, allowing JunoCam to capture images of erupting plumes.
NASA's Juno spacecraft has recently completed its second flyby of Jupiter's moon Io, providing scientists with breathtaking images of the moon's active volcanic eruptions. The spacecraft, equipped with the JunoCam instrument, ventured closer to Io than any other probe in two decades, capturing remarkable details of its volcanic landscape.
🌋 On Feb. 3, the #JunoMission captured two volcanic plumes rising above Jupiter's moon Io – either two vents from one giant volcano, or two volcanoes near each other. The team will be analyzing this against additional data from Juno and other missions to get a better… pic.twitter.com/CEgZMG2rSQ
— NASA Solar System (@NASASolarSystem) February 6, 2024
During the flyby on February 3, Juno dipped to within 930 miles (1,500 kilometers) of Io's surface, allowing JunoCam to capture images of erupting plumes. Among the most striking images captured was a snapshot of two erupting plumes rising above Io's surface, evidence of the moon's ongoing volcanic activity.
Io, roughly the size of Earth's moon, boasts hundreds of active volcanoes, a phenomenon attributed to the intense gravitational forces exerted by Jupiter and its other large moons. These tidal forces cause Io's surface to rise and fall dramatically, triggering volcanic eruptions that propel material high into the moon's atmosphere.
NASA's Juno mission, now in its extended phase, continues to unravel the mysteries of Jupiter and its moons. Future flybys will offer new insights into Io's volcanic processes, contributing to our understanding of the dynamic forces shaping the solar system.