Jupiter’s moon Io as you’ve never seen it

03.01.2024 14:08

Earthsky.org

The Juno spacecraft acquired this new closeup image of the innermost moon Io on December 30, 2023. It was its 57th perijove, or close flyby to Jupiter, since entering orbit around the giant planet on July 4, 2016. Some of those pockmarks are active volcanos. Image via NASA.

Juno images Jupiter’s moon Io

On December 30, 2023, NASA’s Juno spacecraft made the closest flyby of Jupiter’s moon Io in 20 years. Juno got as close as 930 miles (1,500 km) to Io during this most recent pass. Io is Jupiter’s innermost moon, a volcanically active world. You can see plumes from its smoking volcanoes in the images below. Io’s volcanism comes from its proximity to the solar system’s largest planet and the other large moons nearby. The push and pull of their tidal forces sculpts the planet’s surface.

Juno launched back in 2011 and began orbiting Jupiter in 2016. And NASA has extended its science mission until 2025. Juno’s next close pass by Io will be on February 2, 2024.

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Public processing of the raw images

The raw images of the Juno flyby were already available on the day of the flyby, and talented people jumped in to process the data. Below are some amazing processed images of Io shared on X (Twitter).

Juno's final image from the flyby of Io with the plume enhanced for visibility. This is current volcanism on another world. We may have known about Io's volcanoes for over 40 years, but it never gets old. pic.twitter.com/BNkz5wI8DB

— Ted Stryk (@tedstryk) December 31, 2023

Another look at Jupiter’s moon Io with decorrelated colors and boosted to show the dark jupitershine on the right. A lot of credit goes to the JunoCam team for recovering the camera from apparent severe radiation damage.

NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Kevin M. Gill pic.twitter.com/UuDEIH4ADn

— Kevin M. Gill (@kevinmgill) December 31, 2023

You, too, can check out the raw data from the Juno mission and try your own hand at image processing. In fact, NASA has many citizen science projects that anyone can participate in by using just a cell phone or a laptop.

The future of the Juno mission

Eventually, at the end of its mission, Juno will perform a controlled deorbit into Jupiter. Likewise, Cassini ended its mission to Saturn with a similar maneuver into the Ringed Planet. NASA chooses to crash the spacecraft into the planets in an effort to eliminate space debris and lower the risk of contamination. These fiery endings are part of NASA’s interplanetary protection guidelines.

This raw image of Io is from the Juno spacecraft. Juno flew by Jupiter’s innermost moon, Io, on December 30, 2023. It was the closest flyby of a spacecraft past Io in 20 years. Image via NASA.

Bottom line: On December 30, 2023, the Juno spacecraft visited Jupiter’s moon Io. It was the closest flyby of the volcanic moon in 20 years. See the images here.

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