Moon: Io

by Jim Grant & Xiao Huang

Who discovered it?

Discovered

Galileo on January 8, 1610. By using Galilean telescope.

Galilean telescope invented in 1609

by

Wheres its name from?

Io was named after a Roman mythological character. Io is the daughter of Inachus, who was raped by Jupiter. Jupiter, in an effort to hide his crime from his wife, Juno, transformed Io into a heifer.

Where is Io?
the

innermost of the four moons of Jupiter

How Does it look?

Diameter:

3,642 kilometers

the fourth-largest moon in the Solar System

Mass

8.931910^22 kg ( 0.015 Earths)

Earths Moon Earth

Io

 Jupiter

(D=142,984 km) & Io (D= 3,642 km)

Io

What is it composed of?

Density:

3.528 g/cm3

Densest moon in solar system

Composed

of silicate rock surrounding a molten iron or iron sulfide (Unlike most satellites in the outer Solar System, which are mostly composed of water ice) 400 active volcanoes most geologically active object in the Solar System

 Io's

crust consists primarily of silicate rock with only a thin veneer of sulfur and sulfur dioxide.

What is its internal composition?

Silicate crust Molten silicate mantle Iron Sulfide core

What is its atmosphere composition?

extremely consists

thin atmosphere

sulfur dioxide (SO2) sulfur monoxide (SO) sodium chloride (NaCl) atomic sulfur and oxygen

90% Sulfur & 10% other atoms

Surface
Completely

volcanic Sulfur flows of from the interior

White patches are areas of frost made of sulfur dioxide as opposed to water.

Active lava Tvashtar Catena, Io

Active lava Tvashtar Catena

Plate Tectonics
Ios

surface ranges to100 m (330 feet). Mountains

Comparison: Highest tide on Earth: only 18m (60 ft)

100-150

Average height 6 km Average 157 km long

Nearly

all its mountains are tectonic structures, and are not produced by volcanoes

How it orbits?
orbits

Jupiter at an average distance of 421,700 km 42.5 hour orbit rotates synchronously with its orbital period (keeps one face pointed toward Jupiter).

Does Io have a magnetic field?

It

shows characteristics of magnetic field

composed of lots of iron warm inside spins rapidly

Has

induced magnetic field influenced by Jovian magnetic field line

Water? Fluids? Life?

No water or fluids Jupiter being hot enough early in the evolution of the Solar System to drive off volatile materials like water in the vicinity of Io. No life Atmosphere constantly drifting away (not much gravity) little protection from the radiation of the charged particles (inside the powerful magnetosphere of Jupiter) the temperature above the surface is very cold (no buffer between the surface and space itself) the surface of Io is frequently molten, sometimes super-hot (frequent volcanic activity)

 Surface

of Io

a lot of volcanoes very hot

Space Missions
Pioneer

10 & 11 during 1973-1974

Improve estimates on mass and size and density

Voyager

1 & 2 in 1979

Allow detailed images Collect data about Ios surface

Pictures taken by Voyager 1

Space Missions
Galileo

Spacecraft during 1995 2002

Passed by Io six times, allowed for more images

New

Horizons

flew by the Jupiters system and Io on February 28, 2007.

Picture taken by Galileo Spacecraft

Space Missions
Juno

launched on August 5, 2011

In

the future: Jupiter Icy Moon Explorer (JUICE)

scheduled for 2022 arrival at Jupiter in January 2030 JUICE will not flyby Io, but it will use its various instruments, such as a narrow-angle camera, to monitor Io's volcanic activity and measure its surface composition.

References

Galileo Galilei, http://www.crystalinks.com/galileo.html Io~Jupiter ring current image, http://www.thunderbolts.info/wp/2011/12/03/essential-guideto-the-eu-chapter-5/iojupiter-ring-current-image-2/ Io: Overview, http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/profile.cfm?Object=Jup_Io Juno (spacecraft), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juno_(spacecraft) Io (moon), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Io_(moon) Surface of Io, http://www.windows2universe.org/jupiter/moons/io_surface_ov erview.html

Thank You