A Newly Active Volcano On Jupiters Io
Explanation:
Would a volcano plume discovered in January
above Jupiter's Moon Io still be active months later?
To answer this question, the
robot spacecraft Galileo currently in orbit around
Jupiter was maneuvered to image the
plume site during its recent flyby of
Io in August.
What was found was the
highest volcano plume yet discovered
-- but above a completely different and
previously undocumented volcano!
The
original plume, above the
Tvashtar Catena volcanic area,
was not even visible.
A
picture taken in January
of the area surrounding the
Tvashtar Catena eruption is shown above in enhanced color, with a
new picture taken in August shown in the inset.
Careful inspection of the two images will show a newly prominent
dark volcano
surrounded by a light-colored ring visible only in the
smaller, more recent image.
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.
