The ground-based IoIO telescope recorded one of the largest episodes of volcanic activity on Jupiter's moon Io.
It began in July last year and lasted about six months, accompanied by a release of matter near the satellite.
Io is the most geologically active body in the solar system, due to the influence of tidal forces from Jupiter, as well as Europa and Ganymede.
The surface of Io is continuously renewed due to the activity of more than 400 volcanoes.
The volcanoes are also responsible for the formation of the satellite's atmosphere and the supply of neutral and charged particles to Jupiter's magnetosphere.
Observations of the activity of Io have been conducted since 1979 and are extremely interesting for planetary scientists.
EXTRATERRESTRIAL ERUPTION
Now, scientists from the U.S. Planetary Institute reported a massive volcanic eruption on Io using the ground-based IoIO (Io Input/Output) system
The observatory consists of a 35 cm telescope equipped with a coronagraph and an 80 mm aiming telescope, which is installed in the observatory San Pedro Valley in Arizona.
The IoIO system observes using narrow-band filters in the lines of ionized sodium and sulfur, and the corona mask allows you to remove the glow of Jupiter.
Between July and September 2022, there was an increase in the brightness of the glow in the sodium and sulfur lines near Io, which remained constant until December 2022.
This suggests that a large volume of material was released into Io's atmosphere, which is explained by the largest volcanic event on the satellite detected by the system since 2017.
These observations are important not only for scientists, but also for the Juno spacecraft.
Right now NASA’s mission is exploring Jupiter and its satellites and in 2023 it will make two close flybys of Io, observing its volcanoes.
If everything goes according to the plan, Juno will determine the parameters of the plasma environment near the satellite.
Sources:
- US Planetary Institute: https://www.psi.edu/news/iooutbursts#:~:text=IoIO%20uses%20a%20coronagraphic%20technique,and%20lasted%20until%20December%202022.
- Space.com: https://www.space.com/io-jupiter-moon-massive-volcanic-eruption
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