Io at Sunset
Explanation:
How tall are mountains on
Jupiter's moon
Io?
One way to find out is to view them at
sunset.
Tall structures facing the
Sun
are then better-lit and cast long
shadows.
The
above image highlights
Mongibello Mons on the far left, a sharp ridge rising
so high it would rank among the
highest mountains on
Earth.
The violently
changing surface of
Io shows not only classic volcano
cinder cones but also many
thrust faults where the ground has fractured and created
dramatic shear cliffs.
The
grayscale image was taken two years ago by the
robot spacecraft Galileo currently orbiting
Jupiter.
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.
