NASA’s Juno mission, initially focused on Jupiter, has made an exciting discovery about the Jovian moon Io. Juno’s infrared instrument captured images revealing numerous lava lakes on Io’s surface, characterized by hot rings of lava surrounding a cooler crust. These findings provide new insights into the volcanic activity of Io, the most volcanically active body in our solar system.
NASA’s Juno spacecraft has captured high-definition images of Europa, one of Jupiter’s icy moons, revealing a landscape marked by fractures, ridges, bands, and surprisingly large pits. These features indicate that the icy crust of Europa is not locked in place but is floating atop a liquid water ocean, supporting the theory of true polar wander. Additionally, black-and-white images taken by the spacecraft’s Stellar Reference Unit have captured features on Europa’s nightside, suggesting the presence of active ice volcanoes and water plumes jetting from the subsurface ocean. The research, published in the Planetary Science Journal and JGR Planets, provides crucial insights for future missions to Europa, including NASA’s Europa Clipper and ESA’s Juice, which aim to search for signs of life on this intriguing moon.
NASA’s Juno spacecraft captured stunning images of Jupiter’s moon Io, revealing a lava lake and a towering feature named ‘Steeple Mountain.’ The surface of Io, the most volcanically active world in our solar system, is continuously reshaped by lava, erasing impact craters and creating a smooth topography. The new data provides insights into Io’s unique geological processes and its history of volcanic activity.
