Produced by: Tarun Mishra Designed by: Manoj Kumar
NASA has unveiled new details about Io, Jupiter's third-largest moon, which is known as the most volcanic body in the solar system. The latest revelations come from NASA's Juno mission, offering insights into the intense volcanic eruptions occurring on the moon’s surface.
Io features over 400 active volcanoes, with constant eruptions sending lava flows and plumes into space. This volcanic activity shapes Io's unique and dynamic surface, making it one of the most intriguing celestial bodies to study in the solar system.
The Juno mission has helped solve a long-standing mystery about the source of Io's volcanic activity. The findings, published in Nature, suggest that Io's volcanoes are powered by separate magma chambers, rather than a single large magma ocean as previously believed.
The volcanic eruptions on Io are driven by multiple magma chambers located beneath the moon's surface. This localized heat source results from tidal flexing caused by Io's elliptical orbit around Jupiter, which creates significant internal friction and heat.
NASA's Juno spacecraft conducted flybys of Io in late 2023 and early 2024, using Doppler measurements to gather precise gravity data. These measurements confirmed that Io does not have a global magma ocean, as was once thought.
The findings on Io also have broader implications for understanding the interiors of other moons, such as Saturn’s Enceladus and Jupiter's Europa. The discovery suggests that tidal forces may not always create global magma oceans, challenging previous assumptions in planetary science.
Juno continues to study Jupiter and its moons, completing its 66th science flyby in November 2024. The spacecraft’s next close approach, scheduled for December 27, will take it 2,175 miles above Jupiter’s cloud tops, furthering our understanding of the gas giant and its moons.