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Loki Patera, a lava lake on Io. Source: NASA
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NASA’s Juno probe arrived at Jupiter in 2016 and collected a lot of scientific information as it orbited Jupiter in an elliptical shape until 2021. However, because Juno was in good condition even after completing its objective, NASA extended its mission until 2025.
The primary purpose of the extended mission was to make close-up observations of three of Jupiter’s four main moons: Ganymede, Europa, and Io. Juno used the remaining fuel to orbit an elliptical orbit closer to Jupiter, approaching the moons within it one by one.
The Juno probe explored the innermost moon, Io, in December 2023 and February 2024. At that time, the Juno probe came within 1,500 km of Io’s surface and observed the surface in detail. And the sight of a huge lava lake and a unique volcano was transmitted to Earth. Io is the only moon in the solar system on which lava flows and up to 400 active volcanoes are still erupting. The reason Io, which is only slightly larger than Earth’s Moon, shows much more active volcanic activity than Earth is because of Jupiter’s strong gravity.
Even though the distance from Jupiter changes slightly, the gravitational force acting inside Io changes, causing the pressure to change as if you were squeezing and unclenching it with your hand. Eventually, strong frictional heat is generated in the inner rock layer, which not only melts the rock but also causes that energy to explode in the form of volcanoes and lava.
Nearby Europa follows the same principle and has an ocean of melted water beneath its icy crust, but because it is twice as far from Jupiter, it has managed to avoid the fate of becoming a sulfur-fueled satellite like Io.
Among the data sent by the Juno probe, the one that most attracts attention is Loki Patera, a huge lava lake 200 km long. Although lava lakes occasionally form on Earth, no lava lake as large as Rocky Patera lasts for a long period of time. At the center of Loki Patera, the largest lava lake in the solar system, is an island formed from cooled lava.
The Juno probe can measure surface topography and smoothness using a microwave radiometer (MWR) even in dark, shaded areas where sunlight does not shine. Juno’s exploration of Rocky Patera and the surrounding terrain is mirror-smooth, meaning it is new terrain created by the cooling of newly erupted lava. (look at the photo)
Spire Mountains different from those observed by Juno. Source: NASA
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But not everywhere on Io is mirror-smooth. Io’s low gravity and constant volcanic eruptions can create unique volcanoes not found on Earth. Steeple Mountain, as observed by Juno, is, as its name suggests, a mountain resembling a church steeple, overlooking a flat lava plateau. It is a unique volcano on Io that cannot be found anywhere else in the solar system.
After observations in February 2024, Juno will gradually approach Jupiter and carry out its mission until next year. In the final phase he will pass by Jupiter’s clouds and collect as much information as possible. And the extended mission will end on September 17, 2025.
After that, Juno should enter Jupiter’s atmosphere and disappear, like its predecessor Galileo, which oxidizes in Jupiter’s atmosphere in 2003. Until the last moment, Juno will bring us amazing photos and data.
Gordon Jeong science columnist jjy0501@naver.com
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