NASA’s Juno spacecraft recently made its closest-ever approach to Jupiter’s moon Io, getting within just 930 miles of its turbulent surface. Juno has been orbiting Jupiter since 2016, conducting extensive research on the gas giant and its various moons.
Io, known as a “turbulent world,” is famous for having hundreds of active volcanoes, with some eruptions even visible from Earth. The data collected from Juno’s flyby of Io has yet to be fully processed, but researchers are particularly interested in gaining more information about these volcanic activities.
During the flyby, Juno’s cameras were actively capturing valuable visuals, including heat signatures, high-resolution surface images, and visible-light color images. These images will provide researchers with critical insights into the moon’s geological features and potential volcanic processes.
This recent encounter with Io was just the beginning, as Juno is scheduled for another flyby on February 3. Throughout its mission, Juno is set to conduct a total of 18 flybys of Io, each of which will contribute to a deeper understanding of the moon’s volcanic activity.
The primary objective of these flybys is to investigate Io’s volcanic behavior, determine the potential existence of a magma ocean, and study how Jupiter’s powerful tidal forces impact the moon. By studying Io and its relationship with Jupiter, scientists hope to gain valuable knowledge about the important processes occurring within our own solar system.
The valuable data collected by Juno will allow scientists to paint a more comprehensive picture of Io’s unique geology and its significance in the larger context of our solar system. These findings will not only deepen our understanding of Jupiter’s moons, but also shed light on the dynamic processes occurring within other celestial bodies.
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