there NASA’s Juno space probe spin around Jupiter For some time now and over the years, it has allowed for new analyzes and exciting images of the gas giant as well as some of its Jovian moons (which will also be the target of the European ESA Juice mission in the coming years). At the end of last year, a pass was made close to the moon Europa while these days the target is there The moon is me.
The possibility of analyzing this natural satellite (and others of Jupiter) in detail will allow us to learn new properties and study its interaction with the gas giant. This was too flew by A close-up of this mission has been performed so far, allowing for high-resolution images.
NASA Juno and new images of Jupiter’s moon Io
second What has been reported by the US Space Agency flew by It occurred around May 16 at a distance of 35,500 km from the surface The moon is me. Thanks to the possibility of continuing to work after the start of its extended mission (we are in the third year), the scientific goal has moved from knowing the interior of the gas giant to studying the system of moons that surround it.
NASA Juno I managed to get 50 flew by to Jupiter Allowing in the meantime to collect data for the satellites of Europa, Ganymede and Io (the Medici satellites with Callisto). If Europa and Ganymede are interesting because, in particular the former, they could hide an ocean beneath the surface of the ice where life could exist, for Io the question is quite different.
Io is actually a satellite with many active volcanoes and is, in particular, the most active celestial body in the solar system. Scott Bolton (From the Southwest Research Institute) he said “By looking at it over time across multiple steps, we can see how volcanoes differ: how often they erupt, how bright and hot they are, whether they are connected as a group or on their own, and whether the shape of the lava flow changes.”.
Its activity is mainly due to the gravitational pull of Jupiter and moons like Europa and Ganymede that continue to distort it. Thanks to the instruments on board the probe, although it was designed for Jupiter, it will now also be used on its satellites, such as I. For example how volcanic eruptions interact with the planet’s magnetosphere. In particular, in December 2023 and February 2024 it will be possible to reach only 1,500 km of the surface for greater accuracy (while another flyby will take place on July 31, 2023).
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