Juno Spacecraft Captures Stunning Images of Io’s Volcanic Activity During Close Flyby
NASA’s Juno spacecraft has once again provided us with breathtaking images of Jupiter’s moon Io during its recent flyby. This close encounter marks the second time in less than two months that Juno has come within an eerily close distance of Io, known as the most volcanically active world in the solar system. The images captured during this flyby offer a clear view of Io’s chaotic terrain, showcasing the hundreds of volcanoes and molten silicate lava that cover its surface.
The raw images captured by Juno have been made available by NASA, allowing visual designers and space enthusiasts to marvel at the beauty of Io. Upon closer inspection, one of the images reveals what appears to be two plumes erupting from the moon’s surface. The Southwest Research Institute suggests that these plumes could be emitted by either two vents from one giant volcano or two volcanoes situated near each other. The Juno mission team is currently analyzing the data gathered during this flyby to gain a better understanding of the phenomenon captured in the image.
Juno, which has been studying the Jovian system since 2016, turned its attention to Io after observing the moon during previous flybys in May and July 2023. In September 2023, Juno captured a stunning family photo of Jupiter and Io, showcasing the gas giant and its moon side by side.
The first close look at Io was achieved by Juno on December 30, when it flew at a distance of 930 miles away from the moon’s surface. This marked the closest flyby of any spacecraft to Jupiter’s moon in the past 20 years. The closeup images obtained during this flyby provided a detailed view of Io’s mutilated surface, which obtains its signature orange hue from the sulfur erupting from its volcanoes.
Io’s volcanic activity is a result of its position between Jupiter’s immense gravitational force and the gravitational tug of its sister moons, Europa and Ganymede. This constant stretching and squeezing contribute to the moon’s volcanic eruptions. The surface of Io is scarred by hundreds of volcanoes and lakes of molten silicate lava, creating a tortured landscape.
Scientists are utilizing these close flybys to investigate whether Io harbors a magma ocean beneath its crust. The Juno science team aims to study the frequency, brightness, and heat of the volcanic eruptions on Io, as well as how the shape of the lava flow changes over time. Additionally, scientists from the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, Texas, will analyze how Io’s volcanic activity is connected to the flow of charged particles in Jupiter’s magnetosphere by combining Juno data with observations from the Hubble and Webb space telescopes.
Juno is scheduled for another flyby of Io on September 20, where it will once again approach this turbulent world for a third close encounter. For more updates on spaceflight, follow us on X (formerly Twitter) and bookmark Gizmodo’s dedicated Spaceflight page.
