NASA's Juno Probe Makes its Closest Pass of Io - There Be Volcanoes

Back in May of last year NASA's Juno probe made its closest pass of Jupiter's Moon Io and sent back This lovely image of the volcanic Moon with the promise of an even closer look in December 23 , that look was taken on December 30th at a distance of just 930 miles from the Moon's surface and here's the result.


Io is a bit bigger than our Moon but even though it's quite small in size it's the most volcanic body in our Solar System , it's the rope in a constant tug of war between Jupiter and its follow Moons which stretches the Moon creating friction which is the source of the estimated 1,55 volcanoes erupting at any given time , this enhanced image shows Juno captured one in action top centre left.

www.missionjuno.swri.edu...

Scientists are using Juno to collect data about Io in order to learn more about how it fits into and contributes to the complicated system of Jupiter and its moons – and about the moon itself. There's a lot going on inside it that we don't fully understand.

"Juno will investigate the source of Io's massive volcanic activity, whether a magma ocean exists underneath its crust, and the importance of tidal forces from Jupiter, which are relentlessly squeezing this tortured moon," Bolton says.

The probe will conduct another close flyby on 3 February 2024, once again zooming within 1,500 kilometers. It's getting while the getting's good; Juno has been operating in Jovian orbit since 2016, and now three years into its mission extension its instruments are showing signs of degradation. The spacecraft will continue to operate through September 2025, or until it breaks down, whichever comes first.

Meanwhile, Juno is still going strong, with plenty more observations in the works, not just of Io, but the other Galilean moons, and, of course, Jupiter itself.
www.sciencealert.com...

a reply to: gortex

👍 Thanks.

a reply to: gortex

Amazing! What's holding this moon together, if its molten on the inside and other moons along with Jupiter are causing it so much trauma?

a reply to: gortex

It's so surreal, but I'm now ready for high def videos especially for volcanic activity - make it happen NASA.

A video similar to this one.



Another flyby of Io is scheduled on Feb. 3/2024 as well as other moons at different dates.