The hundreds of volcanoes on Io were captured by Juno in full swing, in what looks like a ‘hell’ in space.
NASA ‘s Juno probe has captured an impressive snapshot of Io , Jupiter ‘s satellite , with much of its volcanoes in full swing.
Juno took the infrared image of what is the most active star in the solar system, with hundreds of volcanoes on its surface, as well as lava flows and lakes that glow with radiant heat.
Red hell
The capture was made at a distance of 80 thousand kilometers.
According to NASA , the brighter the red, the higher the temperature in the shared image.
Io is slightly larger than Earth’s Moon. It is known for molten lava lakes and eruptions. Juno even saw an active volcanic plume in late 2018.
Juno still hopes to make flybys of this satellite, the closest ones predicted in 2023 and 2024. The researchers will study how Io interacts with Jupiter and how the moon is connected to the gas giant’s auroras. To do this, it will approach only 1500 kilometers.
Juno and its investigations of Jupiter
Sent primarily to investigate the origin and evolution of Jupiter, Juno has been able to make additional observations of the planet’s four major moons: Callisto, Ganymede, Europa, and now Io.
It made its close flyby of Ganymede in 2021 and of Europa earlier this year .
These two moons are of particular interest because both are believed to conceal a global ocean of liquid water at depth. Speculation is that both could harbor some form of life.
NASA ‘s Juno spacecraft launched in 2011 and took five years to reach Jupiter. Currently, the current mission is scheduled to end in September 2025.
