Io, named after the beloved of Zeus, is one of the Galilean satellites, closest to the giant planet Jupiter. The name of the satellite was assigned by S. Marius in 1614. This body occupies third place among the other large satellites, surpassing Europe in size.
Io's diameter is 3630 km, i.e. is 1.04 lunar. The dimensions of the Jovian moon are comparable to the dimensions of the Earth's. However, the mass exceeds the lunar mass by 1.21 times, reaching 88,935 quadrillion tons. The brightness is inferior to the brightness of other Galilean satellites, with the exception of Ganymede.
Io always faces one side toward the planet, just like the Moon faces Earth. This is explained by the fact that the speed of Io's rotation around its axis is equal to the speed of its revolution around Jupiter. The distance between the planet and the satellite is 421.6 thousand km; the remaining Galilean satellites are located much further from Jupiter.
Io also has another record: since it was one of the first to be discovered and was at that time the closest to the planet, it received the serial number I (Europa, Ganymede and Callisto, respectively, II, III, IV). At the same time, the closest natural satellites of Jupiter, Metis and Adrastea, are numbers XVI and XIV.
The relief of this satellite is unusually complex in comparison with the surface of others: wide valleys with steep slopes and scarps (steep ledges), hills and depressions, numerous volcanic calderas, high mountains - up to 10 km - in the northern hemisphere.
Io's surface formed about 1 million years ago and is very young geologically. This is evidenced by the complete absence of impact craters with a diameter greater than 2 km. In addition, this is confirmed by the high volcanic activity of the satellite’s interior.
Io is the only volcanically active satellite within the Solar System. Voyager photography discovered on the surface of the object more than a hundred calderas (openings of volcanic craters) with a diameter of 200 km, i.e. several orders of magnitude greater than those on Earth. Spacecraft have recorded the activity of seven volcanoes, which we can say with full confidence that they are active.
The first of the devices that approached Io observed the work of all seven volcanoes; by the time the second device approached, the eruption of one of the fiery mountains was completed. The film recorded emissions of erupted material from the vents of a marginal volcano to a height of 200 km. The volcano ejected matter, giving it a speed of 1 km/s, which is not observed on Earth. In terms of chemical composition, gases and particles of volcanic ejecta are represented mainly by hydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxide. This is also typical for terrestrial eruptions.
Most likely, on Io, sulfur serves as the main element in the chemical evolution of the planet. There is a version that on Io, liquid magma almost does not break through to the surface of the solid silicate crust of the satellite, since it reacts with the sulfur seas. The latter are subcortical reserves of liquid sulfur. It is this that is ejected under pressure onto the surface of the satellite, breaking through its thin young crust. This sulfur accumulates on the planet in layers ranging in thickness from 3 - 5 on average to 30 km maximum. The appearance of the planet is brightly colored with sulfur compounds. The red, purple and yellow spots were formed from condensed vapors of pure sulfur, the black from sulfur-rich volcanic ash, and the white from crystals of sulfur dioxide called sulfur snow.
Brief information about Io
Orbit = 422,000 km from Jupiter
Diameter = 3630 km
Weight = 8.93*1022 kg
Io is the third largest and closest satellite of Jupiter. Io is slightly larger than the Moon, a satellite of the Earth. Io was the first lover of Zeus (Jupiter), whom he turned into a cow to try to hide from the jealous Hera. Io was discovered by Galileo and Marius in 1610.
Unlike most moons in the outer solar system, Io and Europa are similar in composition to the terrestrial planets, primarily in the presence of silicate rocks. Recent data from the Galileo satellite indicate that Io has an iron core (possibly a mixture of iron and iron sulfide) with a radius of at least 900 km.
Io's surface is radically different from the surface of any other body in the solar system. This was a completely unexpected discovery made by scientists using the Voyager spacecraft. They expected to see a surface covered with craters, like other bodies with a solid surface, and estimate the age of Io's surface from them. But very few craters have been found on Io, which means its surface is very young.
Instead of craters, Voyager 1 found hundreds of volcanoes. Some of them are active! Photographs of eruptions with torches 300 km high were transmitted to Earth by the Voyager and Galileo spacecraft. This was the first real evidence that the nuclei of other terrestrial bodies are also hot and active. The material erupting from Io's volcanoes is some form of sulfur or sulfur dioxide. Volcanic eruptions change quickly. In just the four months between the flights of Voyager 1 and Voyager 2, some of the volcanoes ceased to be active, but others appeared.
Recent images from NASA's Infrared Camera Telescope at Mauna Kea in Hawaii show a new and very large eruption. The Galileo images also show many changes since Voyager's flight. These observations confirm that Io's surface is indeed very active.
Io's landscapes are surprisingly diverse: pits up to several kilometers deep, lakes of molten sulfur (below right), mountains that are not volcanoes, flows of some kind of viscous liquid (some kind of sulfur?) stretching for hundreds of kilometers, and volcanic vents. Sulfur and sulfur-containing mixtures produce the wide range of colors seen in images of Io.
Analysis of images taken by Voyager led scientists to theorize that lava flows on the surface of Io consist mainly of molten sulfur with various impurities. However, consistent ground-based infrared studies indicate that they are too hot to be liquid sulfur. One idea for this is that the lava on Io is molten silicate rock. Recent observations indicate that this substance may contain sodium.
Some of the hottest spots on Io reach temperatures of 1500 K, although the average temperature is much lower, around 130 K.
Io probably gets its energy for all this activity from tidal interactions with Europa, Ganymede, and Jupiter. Although Io, like the Moon, is always turned with the same side towards Jupiter, the influence of Europa and Ganymede still causes slight fluctuations. These vibrations stretch and bend Io's surface by as much as 100 meters and generate heat, causing the surface to heat up.
Io crosses Jupiter's magnetic field lines, generating an electric current. Although small compared to tidal heating, this current can carry more than 1 trillion watts. Recent data from Galileo indicates that Io may have its own magnetic field, like Ganymede. Io has a very thin atmosphere, consisting of sulfur dioxide and possibly some other gases. Unlike Jupiter's other moons, Io has very little or no water.
According to the latest data from the Galileo spacecraft, the volcanoes on Io are very hot and contain unfamiliar ingredients. Galileo's near-infrared spectrometer has detected extremely high temperatures inside volcanoes. They turned out to be much higher than previously thought. The spectrometer is capable of detecting the heat of a volcano and indicating the location of various materials on Io's surface.
Inside the Pele volcano, named after the mythological Polynesian goddess of fire, the temperature is much higher than the temperature inside any volcano on Earth - it is about 1500 ° C. It is possible that billions of years ago volcanoes on Earth were just as hot. Scientists are now asking the following question: Do all volcanoes on Io erupt such hot lava, or are most volcanoes similar to basaltic volcanoes on Earth, which emit lava at lower temperatures - about 1200 ° C?
Even before Galileo flew close to Io in late 1999 and early 2000, Io was known to have two large volcanoes with very high temperatures. Now Galileo has discovered that there are more high-temperature regions on Io than remote observations have shown. This meant that Io could have much smaller volcanoes with very hot lava.
One of the most active volcanoes on Io is Prometheus Volcano. Its emissions of gas and dust were recorded earlier by the Voyager spacecraft, and now by Galileo. The volcano is surrounded by a ring of bright sulfur dioxide.
As mentioned, the spectrometer on board Galileo can identify different substances by determining their ability to absorb or reflect light. Thus, hitherto unknown material was discovered. According to scientists, it could be an iron-containing mineral, such as pyrite, present in silicate lava. But further research showed that, most likely, this substance does not rise to the surface along with lava, but rather is ejected by volcanic torches. It is possible that identifying this mysterious composition will require laboratory experiments using spacecraft observations.
Io has a solid metallic core surrounded by a rocky mantle, like Earth's. But under the influence of the Moon's gravity, the shape of the Earth is slightly distorted. But the shape of Io under the influence of Jupiter is distorted much more. In fact, Io is permanently oval shaped due to Jupiter's rotation and tidal influence. Galileo measured Io's polar gravity when it flew by in May 1999. Given a known gravitational field, Io's internal structure can be determined. The relationship between polar and equatorial gravity shows that Io has a large metallic core, mostly iron. The Earth's metallic core generates a magnetic field. It is not yet known whether Io's metallic core generates its own magnetic core.
>Io
And about- the most volcanically active satellite in the Solar System of the Galileo group: table of parameters, detection, name, research with photos, composition and surface.
Io is the most volcanically active moon of Jupiter in the solar system.
The deeper we move into the system, the more secrets we uncover. The most interesting were the 4 largest satellites of Jupiter, called the Galilean moons. Io attracts attention due to its volcanic activity (more than 400 active volcanoes).
Discovery and name of Io's satellite
In 1610, Galileo Galilei noticed the satellite using an updated telescope of his own invention. But he could not distinguish it from Europa, so he perceived it as a single point of light. But the next day I saw individual bodies.
In 1614, Simon Marius claimed to have spotted the moons on his own. It is interesting that it was his names that were adopted as official designations, because previously they were simply listed in Roman numerals.
Io was the lover of Zeus. She came from a line of descendants of Hercules and served as a priestess in the temple of Hera. All of its formations were named after deities associated with fire and thunder, as well as characters and locations from Dante's work.
There are now 225 volcanoes, plateaus, mountains and large albedoes recorded in the IAU. You can meet Prometheus, Tvashtar Patera or Pan Mensa.
Size, mass and orbit of the moon Io
With a radius of 1821.6 km and a mass of 8.93 x 10 22 kg, it reaches only 0.266 times the size of Earth and 0.015 times the massiveness. The average distance from the planet is 421,700 km, but due to the eccentricity of 0.0041 it can approach at 420,000 km and move away at 432,400 km.
It is the most inland satellite of the Galilean group, and its orbital path runs between Thebes and Europa. It resides in a tidal block and always faces Jupiter with one side. Volcanic activity on Io is a unique phenomenon that remains to be studied.
It takes 42.5 hours to complete the orbital path at a resonance of 2:1 with Europa and 4:1 with Ganymede. These indicators influenced the eccentricity, which became the initial source for heating and geological activity.
Composition and surface of the moon Io
With a density of 3.528 g/cm3, Io bypasses any moon in the system. The object is represented by silicate rock and iron. In terms of content, they are closer to terrestrial planets. The crust and mantle are rich in silicates, and the core is made of iron and iron sulfide. The latter covers 20% of the satellite's mass, and in a radius extends to 350-650 km. But this is the case if it also contains iron. When adding sulfur, the coverage within the radius will increase to 550-900 km.
The mantle is made up of 75% magnesium and high levels of iron. The lithosphere of basalt and sulfur occupies 12-40 km.
Analysis of magnetic and heat flows showed that the magma ocean is located at a depth of 50 km, occupies the same thickness and 10% of the mantle. The temperature mark is delayed at 1200°C.
The main source of heating is the tidal bend created by orbital resonance with Europa and Ganymede. Heating is also affected by the moon's distance from the planet, eccentricity, composition and physical state.
The tidal block causes friction, which increases the temperature inside Io. This causes volcanic activity and lava emissions to a height of 500 km. The surface layer is almost completely devoid of craters and is covered with plains, mountains, pits and volcanic flows. The bright appearance also hints at this.
There is always sulfur dioxide on the surface, creating large old and gray areas. Atomic sulfur forms yellow and yellow-green areas. Sulfur in the polar regions is exposed to radiation, causing it to turn red.
There is practically no water on the moon, although ice deposits remain in some areas. The mountains stretch on average 6 km, and the maximum height reaches 17.5 km on the southern side. They are isolated and have no visible global tectonic patterns.
Most mountains are created due to compression in the lithosphere, which is caused by deep shifts.
The mountains are made in various shapes and are represented by plateaus and sloping blocks. Those associated with volcanoes resemble shield volcanoes with sharp slopes. They are usually smaller in size than the others (1-2 km in height and 40-60 km in width).
Active volcanoes on the moon Io
Here is the first volcanically active object in the system. Its surface is covered with hundreds of volcanoes and lava flows. This not only creates lava emissions 500 km high, but also affects the geology.
For example, large-scale eruptions lead to flows of hundreds of kilometers, represented by basaltic silicates, iron and magnesium. Sulfur, sulfur dioxide and ash are released into the space.
Volcanic activity also creates numerous depressions extending for 41 km or more.
The atmosphere of the moon Io
The weak layer of the atmosphere consists of sulfur dioxide, sulfur monoxide, atomic sulfur, sodium chloride and oxygen. The pressure ranges from 3.3 x 10 -5 to 3 x 10 -4 Pa. On the night side it can fall to 0.1 x 10 -7 Pa.
The temperature also ranges from -163.15°C to -183.15°C, but the maximum rises to 1526.85°C. Atmospheric density levels are highest in volcanic ridges, which causes replenishment of the atmosphere. Volcanic plumes act as a source for sulfur dioxide. 104 kg are released per second, but most of it condenses towards the surface.
Elements like NaCl, SO, S and O come from volcanic degassing. Auroras are formed due to the contact of charged particles of Jupiter's magnetosphere with the atmosphere of the satellite. The most striking events are observed near the equatorial line.
Contact with the magnetosphere of Jupiter's satellite Io
Io influences the creation of the planetary magnetosphere. Jupiter rips material out of the lunar atmosphere at a speed of 1 ton per second. Most end up in orbit around the planet, forming a neutral cloud where oxygen, sulfur, sodium and potassium are present.
Planetary magnetic field lines crossing the moon combine Io's atmosphere and neutral cloud with Jupiter's polar atmospheric layer. Because of this, a current is formed, which creates aurora.
Lines passing by the lunar ionosphere also result in an electrical current capable of generating up to 400,000 volts. An induced magnetic field arises from the current. Similar things were found in other Galilean satellites.
Exploring the moon Io
For the first time, Pioneer 10 (1973) and Pioneer 11 (1974) flew past the satellite. The missions made it possible for the first time to assess the massiveness, composition, high level of density, the presence of an atmosphere and intense radiation belts.
In 1979, Voyagers 1 and 2 flew by, with their help it was possible to obtain better images. They demonstrated a colored landscape for the first time. Information also showed that there is a lot of sulfur on the surface and active volcanoes.
In 1995, the Galileo spacecraft arrived at Jupiter, performing a close approach on December 7. Galileo tracked the eruption process, understood the composition, and determined surface changes since the Voyagers arrived.
The mission was expanded twice in 1997 and 2000. During this time, Galileo flew past Io 6 times, which made it possible to clearly determine geological processes and exclude the magnetic field.
In 2000, Cassini moved closer and further away from the Jupiter system, allowing for a joint survey. This led to the discovery of a new trail and a better understanding of the auroras.
In 2007, New Horizons flew past the system, producing many images of the surface, plumes, and new sources of the jets.
In 2011, the Juno spacecraft was launched, which now monitors the planet and its satellites. Volcanic activity can be observed using an infrared spectrometer. In 2022, the JUICE mission may be launched, which will be able to examine volcanoes in 2 years until it is installed in the orbit of Ganymede.
The IVO mission was planned to be launched in 2021, but was not approved. Io is considered one of the most interesting moons and the densest in the system. Despite the many volcanoes, it is extremely frosty in places and overflowing with electricity. Perhaps in the future we will be able to use the induced magnetic field for our own purposes. But the volcanoes will not let the colonists get close. Below is a map of Jupiter's moon Io.
This way you found out which planet Io is a satellite of.
Click on the image to enlarge it
| Group Amalthea |
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| Galileevs satellites |
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| Group Themisto |
|
| Group Himalaya |
· · · · |
| Group Ananke |
· · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · |
| Group Karma |
· · · · · · · · |
Io is probably the most famous of all the moons of Jupiter. It is the closest satellite to the surface of the planet. The difference between Io and other satellites is the violent volcanic activity on the surface of the satellite.
holds the record for volcanic activity in the solar system; more than a dozen volcanoes can erupt simultaneously on its surface. During observation by spacecraft, many volcanoes cease their volcanic activity, while others, on the contrary, begin to erupt intensively.
The history of the discovery of the moon Io.
The moon Io was discovered back in 1610 by the very famous astronomer Galileo Galilei. It is interesting that Galileo discovered this satellite using a telescope he himself constructed, which could observe such small and distant cosmic bodies.
Simon Marius also claimed to have discovered the satellite by him, during observations of the satellites of Jupiter a year before its official discovery in 1909, but Simon did not manage to publish data about his discovery in time.
The name for this satellite “Io” was proposed by none other than Simon Marius, but this name was not used for a long time. Galileo named the four satellites of Jupiter he discovered with serial numbers, and Io received its well-deserved first number. But this was not entirely convenient, and subsequently the first satellite of Saturn began to be called Io.
Due to its great volcanic activity, Io's surface is constantly changing. The reliefs of the satellite change greatly every year. Io owes this volcanic activity to the planet Jupiter. The gravity of this giant is simply incredible and the planet causes the magma inside the satellite to constantly move and erupt onto the surface of Io. Due to Jupiter's enormous gravity, Io's volcanoes eject magma up to 300 km away. from the surface at a speed of 1 km/sec. Io is unlike other gas giant moons, which contain mostly ice and ammonia. Io is more like a terrestrial planet
There are 63 known satellites orbiting Jupiter, which can be divided into two groups—inner and outer. The outer satellites of Jupiter could well be captured by the planet's gravitational field: they all revolve around Jupiter in the opposite direction.
Galileo Galilei and his telescopes
These large satellites - Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto - were discovered in the early 17th century. almost simultaneously by Galileo Galilei and Simon Marius. They are usually called the Galilean satellites of Jupiter, although the first tables of their motion were compiled by Marius.
The outer group consists of small satellites with a diameter from 1 to 170 km, moving in elongated orbits strongly inclined towards Jupiter’s equator. While satellites close to Jupiter move in their orbits in the direction of the planet's rotation, most distant satellites move in the opposite direction. A number of small satellites move in almost identical orbits. Scientists suggest that all of them are the remains of larger satellites of Jupiter, destroyed by its gravity.
Astrophysicists from Arizona State University were able to establish that in the past, Jupiter “swallowed” many of its satellites. The moons we see today represent only a small fraction of the objects that lived around the gas giant throughout its existence.
As part of their study, scientists were interested in four large satellites of the gas giant: Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto. The orbits of these objects indicate that they were formed from a disk of gas and dust, which was located in the equatorial plane of Jupiter.
As the satellites formed from the remnants of the protoplanetary cloud, flows of gas and dust from interplanetary space destabilized the orbits of the satellites, causing some of them to fall to Jupiter.
The currently observed moons are the latest generation of many moons that existed around the gas giant. This fact, in particular, indicates the relative youth of Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto.
Let us take a closer look at the four satellites from the inner group: the Galilean satellites. These are four satellites that differ from the others in their large size and mass. They move in almost circular orbits in the plane of the planet's equator.
Galilean satellites
From the many moons of Jupiter listed in the table. 4 Galilean satellites stand out, known since the time of Galileo. These are Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto. They stand out for their large size and proximity to the planet. Even closer satellites to Jupiter are known: these are 3 very small bodies, and Amalthea, which has an irregular shape. Together with them, the Galilean satellites form a so-called regular system, which is distinguished by coplanarity and an almost circular shape of orbits. If we compare them with the position of our Moon, then Io is 10% further away, and Callisto is 4.9 times further away from the Moon. But due to the enormous mass of Jupiter, they spend only 1.8 and 16.7 days on one revolution around the planet.
Murphy's Law: The short history of space exploration is full of funny and sometimes sad incidents, misunderstandings and unexpected discoveries. Gradually, a certain folklore arose that experts exchange during meetings. It is often associated with unexpected behavior of spacecraft. It is not for nothing that a half-joking, half-serious formulation of the Murphy-Chiseholm law was born in the circles of space explorers: “Everything that can go bad, goes bad. Everything that cannot spoil will spoil too.” One of the purely scientific articles in Science magazine began like this: “In accordance with Murphy’s law. “But fortunately, the opposite happens. The case we will talk about is more likely to relate to such amazing luck. It is difficult to say how much truth there is, but the scientific basis of this story is quite reliable.
In 1671, while observing the eclipses of Jupiter's satellites, the Danish astronomer Ole Roemer discovered that the true position of Jupiter's satellites did not coincide with the calculated parameters, and the magnitude of the deviation depended on the distance to the Earth. Based on these observations, Roemer concluded that the speed of light is finite and established its value as 215,000 km/s.
Exploring Jupiter's moons from space
During its stay in Jupiter orbit, the spacecraft "Galileo" came record close to the satellites of Jupiter: Europa - 201 km, Callisto - 138 km, Io - 102 km, Amalthea 160 km.
The glow of the aurora and hot volcanic springs on the shadow side of Io. Two photographs of Jupiter's moon Io taken by Voyager in 1979 and Galileo in 1996. Surface changes due to volcanic activity are visible. At the time of filming, Sept. 7. 1996 Galileo was at a distance of approx. 487,000 km. from Io. When synthesizing both color images, the green to violet filters used on Voyager were used to reduce them to the same type.
Internal structure of Jupiter's moons
Sectional view of the internal structure of Jupiter's moons, modeled based on surface images taken by the Voyager probe and measurements of gravitational and magnetic fields made by the Galileo probe. The sizes of the satellites are shown in relative proportion.
All moons except Callisto have a metallic core, shown in relative size in gray, surrounded by a shell of rock. On Io, the rocky or silicate shell extends to the surface, and on Ganymede and Europa it is also surrounded by a water shell in the form of liquid or ice.
Callisto's internal structure is shown to be a mixture of comparable amounts of ice and silicates. Recent data, however, point to a more complex structure of Callisto's core. The surface layers of Callisto and Ganymede presumably differ from the underlying ice/silicate layers in the percentage of silicate content.
According to scientists, the icy surface on Europa may be covered by a liquid ocean. Studies of Galileo images lead to the conclusion that there may be a liquid water ocean under the satellite’s ice cover, which is several to ten kilometers thick. But it has not yet been determined whether it currently exists.
Io satellite
The closest satellite of the planet Jupiter is Io; it is located at a scattering distance of 350 thousand km from the surface of the planet. Io's natural satellite orbits Jupiter at breakneck speed, taking 42.5 hours to orbit it. Because of this, it is difficult to observe it through a telescope. almost every night it is on different sides of Jupiter relative to observers on Earth.
Although Io is a large satellite with a diameter of 3640 km, due to its proximity to the planet, the enormous gravitational forces of Jupiter act on it, due to which tidal forces are formed that create enormous friction inside the satellite, so both the interior of Io and its surface are heated. Some parts of the satellite are heated to three hundred degrees Celsius; twelve volcanoes have been discovered on Io, spewing magma to a height of up to three hundred kilometers.
In addition to Jupiter, Io is affected by the gravitational forces of other satellites of Jupiter closest to it. The main influence is exerted by the satellite Europa, providing its additional heating. Unlike Earth's volcanoes, which have a long period of “sleep” and a relatively short period of eruptions, the volcanoes of the hot satellite are continuously active. The constantly flowing molten magma forms rivers and lakes. The largest molten lake has a diameter of twenty kilometers and contains an island of frozen sulfur.
Volcanic activity on satellites is an extremely rare phenomenon in the Solar System, and Io in our system is the undoubted favorite in this regard.
The surface of the satellite has a whole palette of colors, because sulfur located on the surface has various shades at different temperatures and when combined with other substances, and also has the property of retaining color when cooling. There is no ice or water on the moon Io. According to scientists, this happened because Jupiter, at the stage of its inception, was very hot and the liquid on the surface simply evaporated. The atmosphere on the satellite is thin. There are traces of sulfur dioxide and other gases.
The satellite has strong electrical discharges with a power of up to 1000 gigawatts. Electric current leaves the satellite at high speed, several kilograms per second. This is due to the ionized atoms that are formed on the satellite due to the eruption. As a result, strong radio bursts occur that even reach the Earth. A plasma torus of charged particles is created along the orbit due to the rapid rotation of Jupiter's magnetic field. These particles then leave the torus and form an unusual magnetic sphere around Jupiter, which increases radiation levels around the planet.
Sources: www.shvedun.ru, www.galspace.spb.ru, znaniya-sila.narod.ru, systemplanet.narod.ru, sevengalaxy.ru
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