Source: ESAĪs a result of this, Io differs significantly from the rest of the moons of the giant planets and has much more in common with rocky planets of the Earth group. Consequently, not only internal heating of the core occurs there, but also surface cracking. In addition, Io’s orbit has a significant eccentricity, so their effect incessantly increases then decreases over the 42 hours, taken by this moon to complete one full orbit around the giant planet.Īll this leads to the fact that tidal forces try to stretch Io, giving it an egg-like shape, while its own gravity resists this. The difference is that since Jupiter is 318 times heavier than Earth, the tides it creates are much stronger. This is slightly less than the minimum possible distance between the Earth and the Moon. This moon is not the closest to the gas giant of all the bodies that revolve around it, but still, at its closest point (periapsis), the distance from it to the upper layers of the gas giant’s clouds is 350,000 km. The main feature of Io that determines its appearance is its orbit. Relative sizes of Io, Earth, and the Moon. At the same time, it has an average density of 3.53 g/cm³, making it the densest moon in the Solar System. And it is the fourth-largest moon of the planet after Ganymede, Titan, and Callisto. Io has a diameter of 3642 km - slightly larger than the Moon. It’s a shame, as there really is a lot to see on this moon. But due to the mass and size limitations, this could only be done by removing some scientific equipment from the spacecraft. Of course, engineers could have added additional protection to JUICE to allow it to get closer to Io. The concentration of charged particles in this region of space is so high that they can easily damage not only a person who would find themselves there but also any electronic equipment. The matter is that Io rotates very close to the planet and moves inside its radiation belts. JUICE will observe it from a distance, not because there is nothing interesting there. We have previously talked about the last three. There are four of them in total: Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. And in the early 2030s, the probe will begin its main mission - to study the largest moons of Jupiter. It will spend the next few years traveling through the Solar System. The Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer ( JUICE) spacecraft was launched from the Kourou Cosmodrome in French Guiana on April 14, 2023. The Surface of Io Why JUICE will look at Io from afar However, this does not mean that there is nothing to see on it. But the large moon Io, which is closest to the gas giant, will be observed from a distance. The JUICE spacecraft, which set off on a journey to Jupiter, will study closely three large moons of the giant planet: Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto.
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