Caused by a tug-of-war between Jupiter and its moons
Dr. Bolton: “It will be a very valuable resource.”
NASA, the US space agency, discovered traces of twin volcanic plumes while taking close-up photos from the satellite ‘Io’ orbiting Jupiter.
NASA released a photo of Io on its website on the 7th (local time) and said, “The Juno probe, which orbits Jupiter, entered about 930 miles inside the surface of Io.” “The photo taken shows active plumes, high mountain peaks, and lava.” “There is a volcanic island that is evidence of a lake,” he explained.
Previously, the New York Times (NYT) reported on the 6th that Juno succeeded in taking close pictures of Io, Jupiter’s third largest moon and the most volcanic planet in the solar system, after its second attempt.
In this image, NASA announced that it captured two twin volcanic plumes erupting into space from the lunar surface.
According to study leader Scott Bolton, a physicist at the Southwest Research Institute, Io’s surface is orange, yellow, and blue, similar to the surrounding Hawaiian volcanoes. He said this phenomenon was the result of Io’s violent expulsion of sulfur and additional compounds.
NASA noted that while the moon’s atmosphere is primarily made of carbon dioxide, Io’s is likely composed of molten sulfur or silicate rocks. As for the reason for the volcanic activity, he said, “Io is caught in a tug-of-war between Jupiter’s powerful gravity and the pull of its neighboring moons, churning its interior and producing lava eruptions that cover its surface.”
Some foreign media said it was not surprising to compare Io’s surface to ‘hell’ and called the newly discovered volcanic pillar ‘hell’s volcano’.
“The goal is to understand what is really behind the engine that drives all volcanoes,” said Dr. Bolton, emphasizing that the data from this expedition will be very valuable.
According to the NYT, this will be the last close flyby of the Juno probe, but it is reported that distant observations will continue every 60 days.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.