The image captured by the infrared camera from NASA’s Juno spacecraft reveals a celestial body covered with dozens of giant, glowing magma volcanoes.
According to Science Alert, the celestial body depicted in the newly released image is “Io, the volcanic moon of Jupiter.” Io, along with Ganymede, Europa, and Callisto, is one of the four largest moons of this planet, discovered by the renowned scientist Galileo Galilei in the early 17th century.
The volcanic moon Io in the latest image – (Photo: JUNO/NASA)
The recently released image showcases a vibrant red Io illuminated by infrared light, with bright yellow spots and streaks representing the glowing lava flows from its numerous volcanoes.
According to the Juno mission’s lead scientist, astronomer Scott Bolton from NASA, Io possesses hundreds of volcanoes, particularly dense in its polar regions. It is believed to be the celestial body with the most volcanoes in the Solar System.
The image was captured based on data collected on July 5 by the Juno spacecraft. This NASA spacecraft will also fly by the volcanic moon Io once again on December 15, marking the first of nine planned flybys over the next year and a half.
Scientists hope to gather additional data about Io’s volcanoes, as well as information about its magnetosphere, which plays a significant role in forming Jupiter’s auroras. A magnetosphere as powerful as that of Io is quite rare among the moons of the planet.
Io is named after the beautiful goddess Io from Greek mythology, who was loved by the sky god Zeus and bore him a son. Jupiter—the international name for the planet—is the name of Zeus in Roman mythology.
The data collected by the Juno spacecraft will provide insights for scientists to prepare for detailed exploration missions of Jupiter and its massive moons in the future. The next upcoming mission is the Clipper mission, which aims to search for signs of life on the moon Europa.
