NASA’s Juno spacecraft has recently taken detailed images of Io, one of Jupiter’s moons, which is the most volcanically active body in the solar system. During its flyby over the moon, the spacecraft’s cameras captured volcanic activity erupting from its surface.
Io is often referred to as the “tormented moon” due to the immense gravitational forces exerted on it by Jupiter and its neighboring moons, Europa and Ganymede. These forces cause significant stress on Io’s surface, leading to its heating and the intense volcanic activity. The moon is home to around 400 active volcanoes, far exceeding the volcanic activity found on Earth.
The images show the scale and intensity of the volcanic activity, with gas explosions and lava eruptions reaching several kilometers into space. Among the most notable active volcanoes on Io is Loki Patera.
Since 2016, the Juno spacecraft has been completing an orbit around Jupiter every 38 days. The mission aims to explore and uncover the secrets of the entire Jupiter system, including all of its moons and rings, through continuous space maneuvers until September 2025, as planned for the space journey.
