Io Archives

Jupiter moon Io, imaged by SHARK-VIS on Jan. 10, 2024. This is the highest resolution image of Io ever obtained by an Earth-based telescope. The image combines three spectral bands — infrared, red and yellow — to highlight the reddish ring around the volcano Pele (below and to the right of the moon's center) and the white ring around Pillan Patera, to the right of Pele.

Astrogeology, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Io, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Press Release

New Telescope Images Of Volcano World Io

by Keith CowingJune 7, 2024June 7, 2024

New images of Jupiter’s volcano-studded moon Io, taken by the Large Binocular Telescope on Mount Graham in Arizona, offer the highest resolution of Io ever achieved with an Earth-based instrument. […]

Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. Credit: NASA/JPL/DLR

Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Callisto, Europa, Ganymede, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Io, Jupiter, Radiation, Status Report

Energy And Temperature Dependencies For Electron-induced Sputtering From H2O-ice: Implications For The Icy Galilean Moons

by Keith CowingMay 9, 2024May 9, 2024

To better assess the role that electrons play in exosphere production on icy-rich bodies, we measured the total and O2 sputtering yields from H2O-ice for electrons with energies between 0.75 […]

JUICE-Europa Clipper Tage Team exploration of Jovian Space -- ESA

Callisto, Europa, Exploration Gear & Tech, Ganymede, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Io, Jupiter, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Missions & Hardware, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Status Report

Contribution Of PRIDE VLBI Products To The Joint JUICE-Europa Clipper Moons’ Ephemerides Solution

by Keith CowingMay 2, 2024May 27, 2024

In the coming decade, JUICE and Europa Clipper radio-science will yield the most accurate estimation to date of the Galilean moons’ physical parameters and ephemerides. JUICE’s PRIDE (Planetary Radio Interferometry […]

Astrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Callisto, Enceladus, Europa, Exploration Gear & Tech, Ganymede, Icy Worlds, Io, Jupiter, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Missions & Hardware, Press Release

Astrobiology Recon Missions: Using Ice-penetrating Radar To Find Liquid Water On Other Worlds

by Keith CowingApril 19, 2024April 19, 2024

The first clue for finding life on other planets is finding liquid water. The moons of Saturn and Jupiter like Enceladus, Ganymede, Europa, and Callisto are suspected of holding oceans […]

Radio sky in the 30 MHz–43 MHz (left) and 47 MHz–78 MHz bands (right); zenith is at the center of the images. Strong sources are labeled, notably including Jupiter and the Sun. In the lower frequency image, Jupiter is of comparable brightness to the Sun, illustrating that the starplanet intensity ratio can be of order unity at radio wavelengths. In the higher frequency image, the absence of Jupiter is consistent with the exceptionally strong cutoff of cyclotron maser emission where the local plasma frequency exceeds the local cyclotron frequency within the planet’s magnetosphere. (Images courtesy of M. Anderson)

Astrogeology, Astronomy & Telescopes, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Habitable Zones, Io, Jupiter, Magnetic Fields, Electromagnetism, bioelectricity,, Space Weather & Heliophysics, Status Report

Radio Observations As An Extrasolar Planet Discovery and Characterization: Interior Structure and Habitability

by Keith CowingApril 19, 2024April 19, 2024

Detection of radio emission from Jupiter was identified quickly as being due to its planetary-scale magnetic field. Subsequent spacecraft investigations have revealed that many of the planets, and even some […]

Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Io, Jupiter, Press Release

Atmospheric Isotopes Reveal 4.5 Billion Years Of Volcanism On Io

by Editor PostedApril 18, 2024August 19, 2024

Sulfur and chlorine isotopes in the atmosphere of Jupiter’s moon Io indicate that it has been volcanically active for the entire 4.57 billion-year history of the Solar System, according to […]

Jupiter's moon Io, its night side illuminated by reflected sunlight from Jupiter, or "Jupitershine." Image data: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS Image processing by Emma Wälimäki © CC BY

Imaging & Spectroscopy, Io, Jupiter, Missions & Hardware, Status Report

Volcano World Io As Seen By Juno

by Keith CowingFebruary 9, 2024February 9, 2024

NASA’s Juno spacecraft just made the closest flybys of Jupiter’s moon Io that any spacecraft has carried out in more than 20 years. An instrument on this spacecraft called “JunoCam” […]

(a) Time-Energy-Differential Number Flux (DNF) spectrogram of the JADE-E data recorded during Juno’s 12th perijove. (b) Magnetic projection of Juno’s position onto the orbital plane of the Galilean moons (green curves) and Juno’s M-Shell (red curves) calculated with JRM33+KK2005 (dashed lines) and JRM33+CON2020 (plain lines). Vertical blue lines at 09:15:42 and 09:20:46 highlight the magnetic flux tubes crossings of Europa and Io, respectively. Juno’s position and velocity with respect to Jupiter are indicated below the sub-panel (b). -- astro-ph.EP

Callisto, Europa, Ganymede, Io, Jupiter, Status Report

Influence Of The Jovian Current Sheet Models On The Mapping Of The UV Auroral Footprints Of Io, Europa, And Ganymede

by Keith CowingJanuary 19, 2024January 19, 2024

The in-situ characterization of moon-magnetosphere interactions at Jupiter and the mapping of moon auroral footpaths require accurate global models of the magnetospheric magnetic field.

This JunoCam image of Jupiter’s moon Io captures a plume of material ejected from the (unseen) volcano Prometheus. Indicated by the red arrow, the plume is just visible in the darkness below the terminator (the line dividing day and night). The image was taken by NASA’s Juno spacecraft on October 15. NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS

Astrogeology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Io, Jupiter, Press Release

Juno Will Make A Very Close Flyby of Volcanic World Io On Saturday

by Keith CowingDecember 29, 2023December 29, 2023

NASA’s Juno spacecraft will on Saturday, Dec. 30, make the closest flyby of Jupiter’s moon Io that any spacecraft has made in over 20 years. Coming within roughly 930 miles […]