Io's Sodium Cloud
Explanation:
Io has its own cloud.
Jupiter's
most active moon is visible on the left of the
above false-color photograph,
with its left side illuminated by sunlight.
But what is happening on
Io's right side?
Here a plume of gas from the active volcano
Prometheus also reflects sunlight.
A second active volcano,
Pele, is also visible: marked by the red spot just below
Io's center. Surrounding the moon
is a
yellow haze
originating from
gas ejected by
Io's volcanos.
Sodium atoms in the
gas
cloud are particulary efficient at reflecting
yellow light.
Several points of light are background stars.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
