Produced by: Tarun Mishra Designed by: Manoj Kumar
Scientists on NASA's Juno mission to Jupiter have unveiled captivating aerial views of Jupiter's moon Io, showcasing two remarkable features: a towering mountain and a serene lake of cooling lava.
The latest findings from Juno's exploration of Io were presented by Principal Investigator Scott Bolton during a news conference at the European Geophysical Union General Assembly in Vienna on April 16.
Juno conducted close flybys of Io in December 2023 and February 2024, capturing unprecedented images of the moon's surface from a distance of approximately 930 miles (1,500 kilometers).
Bolton described Io as "littered with volcanoes," with Juno capturing images of volcanic activity in action. The spacecraft also documented a 127-mile-long lava lake named Loki Patera, revealing intricate details of islands within the molten expanse.
Data collected by Juno's Microwave Radiometer (MWR) instrument unveiled surprising characteristics of Io's surface, including its relatively smooth texture compared to other moons of Jupiter. Additionally, temperature variations indicated colder poles compared to middle latitudes.
Juno's extended mission trajectory allows for closer passes over Jupiter's north pole, enabling the MWR instrument to enhance its resolution of polar cyclones. These observations highlight variations in the structure and intensity of cyclones.
A primary objective of Juno's mission is to quantify Jupiter's water abundance by analysing oxygen and hydrogen molecules in its atmosphere. Recent data suggests that water abundance near Jupiter's equator exceeds solar levels by three to four times.
Juno's findings provide insights into the formation of Jupiter and the distribution of water-ice material in the early solar system. Discrepancies between predicted and observed water abundance raise questions about the gas giant's evolutionary history.
Juno continues to provide invaluable data during its ongoing mission, with future flybys scheduled to further explore Jupiter's atmosphere and moons. The spacecraft's recent encounter with Io on April 9 marked another milestone in its scientific journey.