Juno pictures Jupiter’s moon Io
On December 30, 2023, NASA’s Juno spacecraft made the closest flyby of Jupiter’s moon Io in 20 years. Juno received as shut as 930 miles (1,500 km) to Io throughout this most up-to-date cross. Io is Jupiter’s innermost moon, a volcanically lively world. You may see plumes from its smoking volcanoes within the pictures under. Io’s volcanism comes from its proximity to the solar system’s largest planet and the opposite giant moons close by. The push and pull of their tidal forces sculpts the planet’s floor.
Juno launched again in 2011 and started orbiting Jupiter in 2016. And NASA has prolonged its science mission till 2025. Juno’s subsequent shut cross by Io will likely be on February 2, 2024.
The 2024 lunar calendars are here! Best New Year’s gifts in the universe! Check ’em out here.
Public processing of the uncooked pictures
The uncooked pictures of the Juno flyby have been already obtainable on the day of the flyby, and proficient folks jumped in to course of the information. Under are some superb processed pictures of Io shared on X (Twitter).
Juno’s last picture from the flyby of Io with the plume enhanced for visibility. That is present volcanism on one other world. We could have identified about Io’s volcanoes for over 40 years, however it by no means will get previous. pic.twitter.com/BNkz5wI8DB
— Ted Stryk (@tedstryk) December 31, 2023
One other have a look at Jupiter’s moon Io with decorrelated colours and boosted to point out the darkish jupitershine on the correct. Numerous credit score goes to the JunoCam crew for recovering the digital camera from obvious extreme radiation harm.
NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Kevin M. Gill pic.twitter.com/UuDEIH4ADn
— Kevin M. Gill (@kevinmgill) December 31, 2023
You, too, can try the raw data from the Juno mission and check out your individual hand at picture processing. The truth is, NASA has many citizen science projects that anybody can take part in by utilizing only a mobile phone or a laptop computer.
The way forward for the Juno mission
Ultimately, on the finish of its mission, Juno will carry out a managed deorbit into Jupiter. Likewise, Cassini ended its mission to Saturn with an analogous maneuver into the Ringed Planet. NASA chooses to crash the spacecraft into the planets in an effort to eradicate space particles and decrease the danger of contamination. These fiery endings are a part of NASA’s interplanetary protection guidelines.
Backside line: On December 30, 2023, the Juno spacecraft visited Jupiter’s moon Io. It was the closest flyby of the volcanic moon in 20 years. See the pictures right here.
Read more: Jupiter’s moon Io: Global magma ocean, or hot metal core?
