Hightemperature silicate volcanism on jupiters moon io pdf. Composition of io, jupiters moon windows to the universe. Active volcanism on io was the greatest unexpected discovery at jupiter. Mountains arent the first thing that hit you when you look at images of jupiters innermost moon, io. Hence, the moons of io, europa, ganymede and callisto were designated as jupiter i, ii, iii, and iv, respectively. In fact, if it had been about 80 times more massive, it would have become a star rather than a planet. Two sulfurous eruptions are visible on jupiters volcanic moon io in this color composite image from the robotic galileo spacecraft that orbited jupiter from 1995 to 2003. The moon io the innermost of jupiters galilean satellites. The galilean moons of jupiter the galilean moons of jupiter. Despite its mainly rocky composition, europa has an icecovered. It is also made of rocky material deep inside io is probably a core made of a metal such as iron. Callisto jupiter iv callisto is the secondlargest moon of jupiter and thirdlargest moon in the solar system. Remote work advice from the largest allremote company. The practice was to name newly discovered moons of jupiter after lovers and favorites of the god jupiter and, since 2004, also after their descendants.
At the image top, over ios limb, a bluish plume rises about 140 kilometers above the surface of a volcanic caldera known as pillan patera. It is the most volcanic body known, with lava flows, lava lakes, and giant calderas covering its sulfurous landscape. Our knowledge of ios volcanism, composition, and space environment were. It was discovered in 1610 by galileo galilei and was named after the mythological. Jupiter s rocky moon io is the most volcanically active world in the solar system, with hundreds of volcanoes, some erupting lava fountains dozens of miles or kilometers high. The galileo spacecraft, orbiting jupiter since 1995, kept producing surprises throughout 1999 during closeup studies of the planets moons. Volcanoes erupt massive volumes of silicate lava, sulphur and sulphur dioxide, constantly changing ios.
Its four largest moons are called the galileans, after astronomer galileo galilei, who discovered them in 1610. Io eyeoh or eeoh can be classified as one of the most unusual moons in our solar system. Heat flow, resurfacing, and lava composition, icarus, 1. The moon io is the innermost of jupiters four main satellites, those known as the galilean moons. Its volcanic activity was discovered in 1979 by voyager 1 imaging scientist linda morabito. This false color infrared composite of jupiters moon io was produced from images acquired in july and september, 1996 by nasas galileo spacecraft. On the eve of voyagers first flyby of the jupiter system, unidentified bands were found in. But once you absorb the fact that the moon is slathered in sulfurous lava erupted from 400. To see what is happening on jupiters closest moon, io, a change in language and theory is required. Slightly larger than earths moon, io is the most volcanically active body in the solar system. The moons orbit cuts across jupiters powerful magnetic field producing 400,000 volts of electricity across its surface. Jupiters moon io is known for its lava fountains and roiling lava lakes, but scientists had never seen such an intense eruption in. Composed primarily of silicate rock and iron, io is closer in bulk composition to. The composition of this material is not yet entirely clear, but theories.
Io, jupiters volcanic moon exploring the solar system is like peeling an onion. The planet jupiter is the largest world in the solar system. Jupiters fifth moon, io, is the most volcanically active body in the solar system. Introduction jupiter s moon io is the most volcanically active world in the solar system, with hundreds of volcanoes, some erupting lava fountains dozens of miles or kilometers high. The volcanology of io, a moon of jupiter, is the scientific study of lava flows, volcanic pits, and volcanism volcanic activity on the surface of io. This site is maintained by the planetary science communications team at nasas jet propulsion laboratory and goddard space flight center for nasas science mission directorate. Ios surface composition laboratory for atmospheric and space. Nasa nasa spacecrafts data reveal magma ocean under. Io is the most volcanically active body in the solar system. It is the fourthlargest moon in the solar system, has the highest density of all of them, and has the lowest amount of water by atomic ratio of any known astronomical object in the solar system. Planetary geologists continue to study the volcanic features in our own backyard to better understand volcanoes on other planets. Its mass is estimatedcalculated at being 89,319,379,731,108,900,000,000 kg. Callisto is tidally locked during rotation meaning that it orbits jupiter with the same hemisphere facing inwards making jupiter seemingly stands still in callistos sky.
It has at least 67 known moons and a thin dusty ring. Unlike earth and the moon, ios main source of internal heat comes from tidal dissipation rather than radioactive isotope decay, the result of ios orbital resonance with europa and ganymede. Jupiters rocky moon io is the most volcanically active world in the solar. This view of jupiters moon io was captured by nasas galileo spacecraft. Plumes of sulfur spew upward as high as 190 miles 300 kilometers. Jupiters moon io is 778 million kilometers from the sun. The tallest volcano at craters of the moon big cinder butte is only 700 feet 218 meters. All of jupiters satellites from xxxiv onward are named after descendants of jupiter or zeus, except liii, named after a lover of jupiter. Unlike most solar system moons, which are composed of water ice, io is mostly rock with an iron core. Astrophile is joshua sokols monthly column on curious cosmic objects, from the solar system to the far reaches of the multiverse. Io orbits the planet jupiter, which itself orbits the sun at a distance of. When the voyager 1 and 2 space probes visited the jovian. The energy for the volcanic activity comes from the squeezing and stretching of the moon by jupiters gravity as io orbits the largest planet in the solar system.
This firstever complete map of jupiters volcanic moon io released on march 19, 2012, was created using data and images from nasas galileo spacecraft, which studied jupiter and its moons. It is believed that all of jupiters moons may have once had an internal composition similar to that of. This extreme activity is the result of jupiters powerful gravitational pull, which causes ios tormented solid crust to. It was discovered in the year 1610 by galileo galilei. Europa, jupiters second mostinner moon, is slightly smaller than earths moon and is the smallest of the galilean moons. Observations of io by passing spacecraft the voyagers, galileo, cassini, and new horizons and earth. Io, the innermost of jupiters galilean moons, is in many ways a close twin. The above image highlights mongibello mons on the far left, a sharp ridge rising so high it would rank among the highest mountains on earth. Callisto callisto is the third biggest moon in the solar system and jupiters most distant moon. Io is the innermost of the four galilean moons of jupiter and, with a diameter of 3,642 kilometers, the fourthlargest moon in the solar system.
Io is caught in a tugofwar between jupiters massive gravity and the smaller but precisely timed pulls from two neighboring moons that orbit farther from jupitereuropa and ganymede. Io completes exactly four orbits and europa completes exactly two orbits in the same time it takes ganymede to complete one orbit around jupiter. Something crazy happens to jupiters moon io for 2 hours every day. Something crazy happens to jupiters moon io for 2 hours. Scientists discover strombolilike eruption on volcanic moon. This is where the magnetosphere of io may come from the composition of io is very different from the other icy moons and suggests a certain path for ios history. Understand the moons as sources and sinks of magnetospheric plasma.
The moon was discovered in january 1610 by the italian astronomer galileo galilei. It was the first time active volcanoes had been seen on another body in the solar system. Scientists believe that the planet is subject to extreme stresses as it is gravitationally attracted inwards by jupiter, and outwards by the galilean satellites europa and ganymede. The air of io is roughly 90% sulfur, and 10% other simple atoms such as oxygen an idea of the interior composition can be guessed from the density of io, which is about 3. Io moon simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Except at its volcanic hot spots, ios surface temperature is well below freezing. It orbits at 262,032 miles out from its planet every 1. Io, the innermost of the four galilean moons, is the most geologically active object in the solar system.
Jupiter s fifth moon, io, is the most volcanically active body in the solar system. This galilean moon has a diameter of 2,996 miles and an orbital radius of about 1,170,042 miles. It was formed from a collection of dustice particles that broke off of jupiter as jupiter was being formed. Ios volcanically active surface and thickatmosphere make it an interesting world to study. Jupiters moon io is home to the most active volcano in the solar system, loki patera, a lava lake. The oddlooking mountains on jupiters innermost moon, io, are made by a tectonic process unique to io and maybe the early earth, suggests a numerical experiment. Jupiters moon io this picture shows a special color reconstruction of one of the erupting volcanos on io discovered by voyager 1 during its encounter with jupiter on the 4th and 5th of march. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Lo moon has largest density among all the volcanoes. Extreme volcanism on jupiters moon io springerlink. Nasas voyager spacecraft discovered ios volcanoes in 1979, making that moon the only body in the solar system other than earth known to have active magma volcanoes. Callisto orbits jupiter around every 16 earth days, and has a synchronous rotation.
Using a telescope of his own design, which allowed for 20 x normal. Io is caught in a tugofwar between jupiter s massive gravity and the smaller but precisely timed pulls from two neighboring moons that orbit farther from jupiter europa and ganymede. Squeezing out mountains, mathematically, on jupiters moon io. Nasa the carme group takes its name from the moon of the same name. The air of io is mostly made of sulfur the interior is made of sulfur too. Io s remarkable activity is the result of a tugofwar between jupiter s powerful gravity and smaller but precisely. Io is located within an intense radiation belt of electrons and ions trapped in jupiters magnetic field. Tall structures facing the sun are then betterlit and cast long shadows. This global view of jupiters moon, io, was obtained during the tenth orbit of. A new view of jupiters volcanic moon is the first book dedicated to this unique satellite, and it does justice to io s dubious charms.
Draw a line from the images below to their matching descriptions. A bit larger than earths moon, io is the innermost of jupiters large satellites and the most volcanically active body in the solar system, with plumes of matter rising up to 186 miles 300 km above the surface. Introductionjupiters moon io is the most volcanically active world in the. Io moon facts about io facts about the solar system. This global view of jupiters moon, io, was obtained during the tenth orbit of jupiter by nasas galileo spacecraft. With a diameter of about 2275 miles, it is the fourth largest moon in the solar system. It is jupiters third biggest moon with a diameter of 3642 km, being slightly bigger than earths moon. The density of iron is about 5, and that of silicate rock is 3, so the inside of io must be made out of rocky material and sulfur deep inside io is probably a core made of heavier metal elements such as iron. Iojupiter system bears a unique distinction in our solar system. Introduction jupiters moon io is the most volcanically active world in the solar system, with hundreds of volcanoes, some erupting lava fountains dozens of miles or kilometers high. Back in the 1970s, scientists began to suspect that iojupiters fourth largest moonfeatured a tumultuous and dynamic surface.
Jupiters magnetic field strips off 1 ton of material from io every second. Jupiters moon io eyeoh or eeoh is one of the most exotic places in the solar system. Fifth moon or lo moon of jupiter is highly volcanically active. A new view of jupiters volcanic moon springer praxis.
Ganymede, europa and io are all in orbital resonance with jupiter. He had discovered jupiters four largest moons, now called io, europa. It has billowing volcanic geysers spewing sulfurous plumes to. The individual moon names are callisto, europa, ganymede, and io, and come from greek mythology. During the course of their orbits, the three moons line up like in the picture seen to the left. On january 7, 1610, using his primitive telescope, astronomer galileo galilei saw four small stars near jupiter. With every layer removed, one finds fresh mysteries to ponder over, each one more confounding than the last. Jupiter is the sixth planet of the solar system and has 79 moons. As the magnetosphere rotates with jupiter, it sweeps past io and strips away about 1,000 kilograms 1 ton of material per second.
The surface of the moon is continually covered by deposits from the active volcanoes. One set of images captured a fountain of bright lava spurting more than 1. Io and jupiter constitute a moonplanet system that is unique in our solar system. The images in this mosaic, featuring the moon io against a background of gas giant jupiters diffuse swirling cloud bands, were recorded by voyagers camera from a distance of about 8. Scientists suggest the spot may be a new class of transient feature on. With more than 400 volcanoes, ios mottled surface is constantly changing, painted in shades of red, yellow, white, black, and green.
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