8/28/2023 0 Comments Io moon mountains![]() Scientists had expected to find something similar to our moon but what they had in fact discovered was the most geologically active body in the entire solar system. The moon's south pole has a wealth of resources, like water ice. This causes Jupiter’s strong gravity to push and pull the small moon, producing immense heat inside Io and creating molten lava below its surface. The moon is home to a wide range of topographical features, including towering mountains called massifs. The explanation was in fact very simple, Io's orbit around Jupiter is extremely elliptical, meaning that sometimes it's close to the giant planet and other times it's further away. Scientists initially scratched their heads and wondered how a small moon in one of the coldest parts of the solar system could be generating so much heat. ![]() The sulfur deposits from the eruptions also made the small moon strikingly colorful. On Earth, mountains form along tectonic boundaries, but Io, Jupiter's volcanic moon, is awash with molten rock and dotted with solitary mountains - how did they form By Elizabeth Howell. 17.5 km (10.9 mi) to 18.2 km (11.3 mi) South Boösaule Mons ( / bo. The Sun is illuminating the scene from the left, and because it is setting, the Sun exaggerates the shadows cast by the mountains. One moon in particular stood out, Io, scientists were amazed to find out that it was in fact geologically active with volcanoes constantly erupting on its surface. 17, 1999 This image taken by NASA's Galileo spacecraft during its close flyby of Jupiter's moon Io on Novemshows some of the curious mountains found there. Mountains on Io are much taller than Earths largest mountains, towering up to 52,000 feet (16 kilometers) high. But what you might not realize is that volcanoes are everywhere, even on moons and other planets. But once you absorb the fact that the moon is slathered in sulfurous lava erupted from 400. Places like Hawai’i or Italy might come to mind. The spectacular surface of Io with volcanic plumeĪs Voyager 1 and 2 approached the Jupiter system in the late 1970's NASA scientists fully expected the craft to discover that its moons would be cold, dead and not particularly interesting, instead what they found was quite astonishing. Mountains arent the first thing that hit you when you look at images of Jupiters innermost moon, Io.
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