Juno Finishes Its Nearest Pass by Jupiter’s Volcanic Moon Io

NASA’s Juno spacecraft had its closest encounter with Jupiter’s moon Io in more than two decades on December 30, 2023. The robotic probe approached within 930 miles (1,500 km) of the volcanic moon, capturing detailed images of its south pole.

Initiated on August 5, 2011, Juno is now in the third year of its extended mission, dedicated to examining Jupiter and its moons. While Juno’s recent encounter with Io is its closest yet, it does not hold the record for the closest flyby. That distinction goes to the Galileo probe, which, in 2001, passed by Io at a distance of 112 miles (181 km).

Juno

When Juno flew close to Io, its tools took pictures of the impressive volcanic happenings on the moon. The information from the three cameras onboard will assist scientists in figuring out the tidal forces behind these activities. It will also help answer whether there’s a molten rock ocean beneath the moon’s unpredictable surface.

While Juno reached Jupiter in 2016, it has completed only 57 orbits around the planet. This cautious approach is necessary because Jupiter’s intense radiation belts pose a threat to the probe’s electronics, despite significant shielding. To minimize the risk, Juno typically stays at a safe distance and only conducts occasional swift flybys into the inner Jovian system. However, even during these limited encounters, the instruments on board are displaying signs of significant deterioration. Mission Control is consistently evaluating the situation and devising solutions to address the challenges.

NASA

As per NASA, the most recent flyby has adjusted Juno’s orbit, reducing its orbital period from 38 days to 35 days. A second planned flyby on February 3rd is expected to further decrease the period to 33 days. This alteration in orbit will also result in more instances of Juno’s solar panels being shadowed by Jupiter. Nevertheless, NASA engineers are assured that the spacecraft will not be in darkness for a duration that could harm its systems.

Juno’s principal investigator, Scott Bolton of the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, Texas, stated, “By merging information from this flyby with our earlier observations, the Juno science team is examining the variations in Io’s volcanoes. We are investigating the frequency of eruptions, the intensity and temperature of these volcanic activities, the alterations in the lava flow’s shape, and the correlation between Io’s activity and the movement of charged particles in Jupiter’s magnetosphere.”

Read the Original Article: NewAtlas

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