NASA Spacecraft Catches Volcano Plumes Blasting Into Space

NASA’s Juno spacecraft has captured a stunning image of volcanic plumes erupting into space from Jupiter’s third-largest moon, Io. The robotic spacecraft, which has been orbiting Jupiter for over seven years, took the snapshot in February during its final close-up tour of Io at a distance of 2,400 miles.

The plumes, visible along Io’s limb, are believed to be either blasting out of two vents from one enormous volcano or two separate-but-snug volcanoes. Io is the most volcanically active world in our solar system, with hundreds of volcanoes spewing fountains that reach dozens of miles high. The spacecraft’s principal investigator, Scott Bolton, said that the data collected during this close encounter is revealing new information about the moon’s volcanic processes.

The Juno spacecraft has been studying Jupiter’s atmosphere and interior since its primary mission began, and has made several significant discoveries, including the finding that the planet’s atmospheric weather layer extends far beyond its clouds. After completing 35 orbits, the spacecraft transitioned to studying the entire system around Jupiter, including its dust rings and many moons. This extended mission will continue for another year or until the spacecraft eventually burns up in Jupiter’s atmosphere.

The Juno spacecraft has an instrument called JunoCam, designed to take close-up photos of Jupiter and engage the public. The science team invites amateur astronomers to process the camera’s raw data and crowdsources what to focus on next. JunoCam isn’t the only instrument giving scientists fresh insights into Io’s volcanoes. The Jovian Infrared Auroral Mapper, or JIRAM, has also been observing the moon in infrared light, and researchers have just published a new paper based on the Italian instrument’s findings in the journal Nature Communications Earth and Environment.

Io, which is about the size of Earth’s moon, has a surface covered in molten silicate lava lakes. These lakes are contained in caldera-like features, large basins formed when volcanoes erupt and collapse. The researchers think the moon teems with vast lakes of lava, where magma rises and recedes, and the lava crust breaks against the lake’s steep walls, forming a ring similar to what happens in Hawaiian lava lakes. The tall barriers may be what’s preventing the magma from spilling all over Io’s surface.

However, there’s another idea that can’t be ruled out: Magma could be welling up in the middle of the lake, spreading out, then forming a crust that sinks along the lake’s rim, exposing lava. The researchers are still studying the data and are excited to learn more about the mechanisms driving Io’s volcanic activity.

Historical Context:

• NASA’s Juno spacecraft was launched on August 5, 2011, and has been orbiting Jupiter since July 4, 2016.
• The spacecraft’s primary mission was to study Jupiter’s atmosphere and interior, which it completed in 2018.
• In 2019, Juno transitioned to an extended mission to study the entire Jupiter system, including its dust rings and moons.
• The Juno spacecraft is equipped with several instruments, including JunoCam, which is designed to take close-up photos of Jupiter and engage the public.
• The Jovian Infrared Auroral Mapper (JIRAM) instrument has been observing Io in infrared light and has made significant discoveries about the moon’s volcanic activity.

Summary in Bullet Points:

• NASA’s Juno spacecraft has captured an image of volcanic plumes erupting into space from Jupiter’s third-largest moon, Io. • The plumes are believed to be either blasting out of two vents from one enormous volcano or two separate-but-snug volcanoes. • Io is the most volcanically active world in our solar system, with hundreds of volcanoes spewing fountains that reach dozens of miles high. • The Juno spacecraft has been studying Jupiter’s atmosphere and interior since its primary mission began and has made several significant discoveries. • The spacecraft has an instrument called JunoCam, which takes close-up photos of Jupiter and engages the public. • The Jovian Infrared Auroral Mapper (JIRAM) instrument has been observing Io in infrared light and has made significant discoveries about the moon’s volcanic activity. • Io has a surface covered in molten silicate lava lakes, which are contained in caldera-like features. • Researchers think the moon teems with vast lakes of lava, where magma rises and recedes, and the lava crust breaks against the lake’s steep walls, forming a ring. • Another idea is that magma could be welling up in the middle of the lake, spreading out, then forming a crust that sinks along the lake’s rim, exposing lava. • Researchers are still studying the data and are excited to learn more about the mechanisms driving Io’s volcanic activity.