Io Up Close

Io in infrared light, 7-5-22 (credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/Juno)

The Juno spacecraft is closing in for a series of close-up fly-by photographs and measurements of the Jupiter's volcanic moon Io. An initial image was captured when the spacecraft was about 50,000 miles away.

Juno carries an infrared camera that detects 'heat signatures' of objects it is photographing. This images was produced from data collected by the JIRAM (Jovian Infrared Auroral Mapper) instrument aboard Juno. The brighter the color the higher the temperature recorded by the infrared sensors. More close-ups will arrive soon but don't expect them to show and blue, ie, cool temperature profiles one this fascinating but hellish moon.

Here is brief survey of Io's strangeness. WHB

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