The Volcanoes of Io Seen in a New Light
The innermost large moon of Jupiter, Io, is geologically active, with hundreds of volcanoes - A new ALMA study peeks into the atmosphere of this Jovian moon
The volcanoes of Io reveal secrets of a distant atmosphere in new data from the ALMA network of radio telescopes.
Io seen in a composite image showing ALMA radio readings, together with optical mapping from the Voyager 1 and Galileo spacecraft. Image credit: ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO), I. de Pater et al.; NRAO/AUI NSF, S. Dagnello; NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute
By James Maynard
For the first time ever, astronomers were able to the see the effects of volcanic activity on the atmosphere of the innermost large moon of Jupiter.
Io is the most volcanically-active body in the Solar System apart from the Earth. Astronomers know of more than 400 volcanoes strewn across the surface of Io. These eruptions release vast quantities of sulfur gas which freeze, falling to the surface of Io, coating the moon in red, orange, yellow, and white deposits.
You’ve Got Another Thin Comin’, Lucy
The atmosphere of Io is astonishingly thin — a billion times thinner than the atmosphere of our own world. But, studying this tenuous layer of (mostly) sulfur dioxide gas allows astronomers to learn more about the thin atmosphere of this moon, as well as determine the composition of Io just beneath its colorful veneer.
Read more: https://thecosmiccompanion.net/the-volcanoes-of-io-seen-in-a-new-light
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- James