Io

Pop goes the volcano.

Artist's composition of a volcanic exo-Io undergoing extreme mass loss. The hidden exomoon is enshrouded in an irradiated gas cloud shining in bright orange-yellow, as would be seen with a sodium filter. Patches of sodium clouds are seen to trail the lunar orbit, possibly driven by the gas giant's magnetosphere. (© University of Bern, Illustration: Thibaut Roger)

Astronomers find clues of a volcanically active exomoon

August 30, 2019

Clues pointing towards a volcanically active exomoon hidden outside our solar system — a violent and dangerous world — have been discovered by astronomers.

Largest lava lake in the solar system makes massive waves

by Tibi Puiu

May 11, 2017

On Io, the floor is basically lava.

Artist’s concept of Jupiter’s volcanic moon Io, whose volcanoes create an ephemeral atmosphere during sunlit hours. Image: Southwest Research Institute

Io’s atmosphere collapses every time there’s an eclipse

by Dragos Mitrica

August 3, 2016

Reason number #1304 not to colonize Io.

This five-frame sequence of images from the New Horizons spacecraft captures the giant plume from Io's Tvashtar volcano.
Credits: NASA/JHU Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

Ocean of Magma Could Explain Io’s Strange Volcanoes

by Dragos Mitrica

April 25, 2019

An ocean of magma could explain why Jupiter's moon Io has volcanoes in the "wrong place". This would also mean ...

This global view of Io was obtained by NASA’s Galileo spacecraft on 19 September 1997 at a range of more than 500,000 km (310,000 miles). In this image, deposits of sulfur dioxide frost appear in white and grey hues while yellowish and brownish hues are probably due to other sulfurous materials. Bright red materials and ‘black’ spots with low brightness mark areas of recent volcanic activity and are usually associated with high temperatures and surface changes. Image credit: NASA / JPL / University of Arizona.

Astronomers find huge lava lake on Jupiter’s moon Io

by Mihai Andrei

April 25, 2019

Scientists analyzing data from the Large Binocular Telescope Observatory in Arizona spotted a huge lava lake on Io, one of Jupiter's ...

Galileo SSI high resolution (7–8 m/pixel) images of undivided patera floor material and white plains material in Chaac Patera, with lower resolution context. (c) David A. Williams

Complete geological map of Io reveals incredible volcanic surface

by Tibi Puiu

March 20, 2012

Since it was first discovered more than four hundred years ago by Galileo Galilei, Jupiter's innermost moon Io has played ...

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