Jupiter’s moon Io, the most volcanic object in the solar system, has been the subject of stunning new photographs captured by the Juno spacecraft during its closest flyby to date. The images, taken on December 30, 2023, revealed Io’s surface shimmering with a sulfur hue, and its mottled features caused by continuous volcanic activity.
During its 57th flyby of Jupiter, Juno came within 1,500 kilometers of Io’s surface, capturing six detailed images that provide valuable data on the moon’s volcanic activity. These photos will help scientists better understand the 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 solar system is due to the gravitational interaction with Jupiter and its other large satellites, which generate massive tidal forces. These forces cause Io’s surface to bend and undulate violently, with active volcanoes spewing lava up to tens of kilometers high.
The volcanic activity on Io has far-reaching effects on the entire Jupiter system, with some particles escaping Io’s thin atmosphere and forming a ring of hot plasma around Jupiter. This makes the data collected by Juno crucial for understanding the dynamics of the Jupiter system.
The latest images from Juno show Io’s surface covered with hundreds of active volcanoes and molten silicate lava lakes, giving the moon a landscape that resembles tortured burn scars. The spacecraft is scheduled to make another close flyby of Io on February 3, 2023, before ending its extended mission in September 2025 by plunging into Jupiter’s atmosphere.
The photographs taken by Juno provide unprecedented insight into the volcanic activity on Io, shedding light on the complex interactions between the moon and its parent planet. The data collected during these flybys will continue to unravel the mysteries of Io’s turbulent volcanic landscape and its impact on the Jupiter system.