PREVIEW

Scientists from NASA's Juno mission have unveiled remarkable findings from recent flybys of Jupiter's moon, Io transforming data into captivating animations showcasing the moon's dynamic features. Among the discoveries are a towering mountain and a remarkably smooth lake of cooling lava. Juno conducted close flybys of Io in December 2023 and February 2024, coming within approximately 930 miles (1,500 kilometers) of the moon's surface capturing unprecedented close-up images of its northern latitudes. Juno's principal investigator, Scott Bolton, said: "Io is simply littered with volcanoes, and we caught a few of them in action". "We also got some great close-ups and other data on a 200-kilometer-long lava lake called Loki Patera. “There is amazing detail showing these crazy islands embedded in the middle of a potentially magma lake rimmed with hot lava”. Through these groundbreaking discoveries, Juno continues to unravel the mysteries of Jupiter and its moons.