Io

Jupiter, the biggest planet of the solar system is surrounded with more than 60 natural satellites. The first moons of Jupiter were discovered in 1610. Galileo Galilei discovered to this time four bigger satellites of the Io system Io, Europe, Ganymede and Callisto. These moons called since Galileans, were the first ones must to be observed except that of the Earth. Today thanks to space probes, we have a more complete sight of the Io system. It is the series of the missions to Travel who allowed to raise the veil on the Io system (on 1979: Half-blood, Thebe and Adrastea). Before the spatial era, the astronomers had discovered: Amalthea ( 1892 ), Himalia ( 1904 ), Elara ( 1905 ), Pasiphae ( 1908 ), Sinope ( 1914 ), Lysithea and Carme ( 1938 ), Ananke ( 1951 ), Leda ( 1974 ) and Themisto ( 1975 ). Between 1979 and 1999, no new satellite of Jupiter was discovered and it was necessary to wait on October 6th, 1999, so that the Spacewatch program discovers the new moon to Jupiter, Callirrhoe.

The observations of year 2000 revealed ten new moons, carrying the number of satellites in 28 after the rediscovery of Themisto, Kalyke, Iocaste, Erinome, Harpalyke, Isonoe, Praxidike, Megaclite, Taygete, Chaldene and S/2000 J 11. The next year, eleven other moons were discovered, bringing the total to 39, Hermippe, Eurydome, Sponde, Kale, Autonoe, Thyone, Pasithee, Euanthe, Orthosie, Euporie and Aitne. In 2002, the single moon, Arche, was discovered. In 2003 there is a discovery of 23 new satellites, Eukelade, S/2003 J 2, S/2003 J 3, S/2003 J 4, S/2003 J 5, Helike, Aoede, Hegemone, S/2003 J 9, S/2003 J 10, Kallichore, S/2003 J 12, Cyllene, S/2003 J 14, S/2003 J 15, S/2003 J 16, S/2003 J 17, S/2003 J 18, S/2003 J 19, Carpo, Mneme, Thelxinoe and S/2003 J 23. Most of 47 satellites discovered after 2000s are the small moons of some kilometers in diameter, the biggest reaching hardly 9 km. In 2006, we knew 63 moons about Jupiter, the record of the solar system.

Io the galilean moon

category : satellites of planet

Io is one of four Galilean moons of Jupiter, the closest to the planet. It pulls its name of Io, loving conquest of Zeus persecuted by the wife of this last one, Hera, whose a priestess she had been. Io is especially remarkable for its active volcanism, observed that on the Earth. The energy necessary for this activity results probably from interactions of tide between Io, Europe, Ganymede and Jupiter. Although Io always presents the same in front of Jupiter, the presence of Europe and Ganymede makes it vacillate a little. This interaction deforms the surface of Io which lifts up itself and falls up to 100 meters and produces of the heat by internal friction.

Io pulled in all directions

category : satellites of planet

Before even the discovery of the volcanic eruptions of Io, these had been foreseen by a team of American researchers, steered by S. Peale. Io is subjected to a double effect of tide which stretches its surface and its internal layers everywhere.
With 3 680 km in diameters, Io seems tiny when she walks past the enormous globe of Jupiter the diameter of which is 143 000 km. its orbit is very low, Io puts in 42 hours and 27 minutes to make the tour of Jupiter. So by shaving the huge planet, it is subjected to an enormous effect of tide which deforms it and warms, not only its surface but also its internal layers. For that purpose of tide, is added the second, that of another moon of Jupiter, a little smaller Europe with its 3 122 km in diameters. Placed on a higher orbit, Europe makes the tour of Jupiter in 85 hours. Io, faster, thus catches up it and exceeds it both tours of orbit. On every meeting, both moons incur and deform mutually.

Pulled so between Jupiter and Europe, deformed every 42 hours by tides of big amplitudes (until 100 m), Io warms up and loosens billions of kilowatts of heat or 40 times more than the Earth, while she is not bigger than the Moon. All this makes that this celestial body the internal layers of which are in fusion in a permanent, present way ceaseless and gigantic volcanic eruptions amount on average to 10 000 tons of lava per second and by volcano. The surface of Io thus presents a big variety of grounds characterized by depressions which correspond to the calderas of volcanoes, eminences, high trays, mountains and chains of craters. The sulfur and its compounds look to these landscapes of the colorful colors. Certain regions constitute a magnificent contrasted palette where dominate the yellow, the green and the red. Changeable tints of lava flows reflect, partially, the chemical states of the sulfur which changes according to the temperature.

We perceive on this tiny photography Io with its shadow being reflected on the gigantic surface of Jupiter. Indeed with its 3680 km in diameters, Io seems tiny when she walks past the enormous globe of Jupiter (143000 km in diameter). It makes the tour, on a very low orbit, in 42 hours and 27 minutes.
Photo taken by the probe Cassini-Huygens in December, 2000.

Io the volcanic moon

category : satellites of planet

Io watch on the photo opposite, its intense activity because three volcanic panache are visible in spite of the smallness of the image. The most spectacular panache is the one which amounts to 290 kilometers above the volcano Tvashtar near the north pole. Two other smaller panache are hardly visible. The first one is the one of the volcano Prometheus, at "9 hours", and the second that of the volcano Amirani, between Prometheus and Tvashtar along the border at day-night on the moon. The light which crosses the tiny particles of dusts ejected by volcanoes, gives this bluish light while on the base of the panache of Tvashtar, we can see a red light which lets us guess the incandescent lava of the volcano.

Photography of the croissants of Io ' at the top to the left) and of Europe (below to the right), taken on March 2nd, 2007 by the probe New horizons in 4,6 million kilometers of Io and 3,8 million kilometers of Europe, the moons separated from 800 000 kilometers one of the other one. The Sun is to the left of the photo and the Jupiter to the right, moreover we can notice that the night-side of Io is enlightened by the light reflected by Jupiter, Europe being absolutely dark on the other hand.
Image taken by the instrument MVIC (Multispectral Visual Imaging Camera) of New Horizons.  Source NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute