"Junona" saw the lights of volcanoes on Io



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The satellite today has about 150 active volcanoes.

An automatic interplanetary station "Juno" receives new images of volcanoes on the satellite of Jupiter, another satellite of the European gas giant acting as a light source in the observations. Such observations help to understand the mechanisms of Io activity, reported on the Southwestern Research Institute website, Ukr.Media informs.

The volcanic activity on Io was discovered in 1979 with the Voyager-1 probe, following which it was repeatedly tracked by other aircraft. and terrestrial instruments. Today, the satellite contains about 150 active volcanoes, but researchers estimate that they should count nearly one hundred. The nature of the processes occurring in the celestial body is unclear until in the end, it is assumed that the gravitational influence of Jupiter corresponds to that. During eruptions in the atmosphere and at the surface of the satellite, sulfur and sulfur dioxide, as well as silicate magma, are emitted.

On December 21, 2018, the interplanetary station "Juno" made the observation of Io. In a photo taken with the help of the Junocam camera, a bright spot, which is a volcanic emission that reflects light, is visible near the satellite terminator. After Io completely entered the shadow of Jupiter, sunlight, reflected by another Jupiter satellite from Europe, created the conditions necessary for observation. Thanks to the SRU (Stellar Reference Unit) and JIRAM (Jovian infrared auror mapper), it was possible to determine the location of all the points that are signs of volcanic activity, as well as identify the bright region responsible for feeding Jupiter's radiation materials with Io material.

The "Juno" mission was launched in Jupiter in August 2011 and has already come into orbit around the planet last July. Through the device, scientists have heard the "singing" of Jupiter's main shockwave and have thoroughly examined its clouds and storms, including the famous Great Red Spot anticyclone and poles. from the planet, which allowed to estimate the induction of the planet's magnetic field, as well as to see and hear the powerful polar radiation of Jupiter. 19659006] [ad_2]
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