NASA’s Juno spacecraft will make the closest flyby of Jupiter’s moon Io in over 20 years on Saturday, Dec. 30. It will come within roughly 930 miles (1,500 kilometers) from the surface of Io, which is known as the most volcanic world in our solar system. This close pass is expected to provide Juno instruments with a large amount of data.
Another ultra-close flyby of Io is scheduled for Feb. 3, 2024, where Juno will once again come within about 930 miles (1,500 kilometers) of the moon’s surface.
Up until now, the spacecraft has been observing Io’s volcanic activity from distances ranging from about 6,830 miles (11,000 kilometers) to over 62,100 miles (100,000 kilometers). It has also captured the first images of the moon’s north and south poles. In addition, Juno has conducted close flybys of Jupiter’s icy moons, Ganymede and Europa.
“With our pair of close flybys in December and February, Juno will investigate the source of Io’s massive volcanic activity, whether a magma ocean exists underneath its crust, and the importance of tidal forces from Jupiter, which are relentlessly squeezing this tortured moon,” said Bolton.
Now in its third year of the extended mission to study the origin of Jupiter, the solar-powered spacecraft will also explore the ring system where some of the gas giant’s inner moons are located.
2024-01-01 09:00:03
Article from phys.org rnrn