Is Io a moon on Jupiter?

Is Io a moon on Jupiter?

Io is one of the four so-called Galilean moons of Jupiter, along with Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. These larger moons, discovered by Galileo Galilei in 1610, are all visible from Earth with a small telescope.

Will Io crash into Jupiter?

And now, a new study shows another unique connection between Io and Jupiter: Io’s atmosphere collapses every time it passes into Jupiter’s shadow, and scientists just watched it happen for the first time ever. They published their results Tuesday in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets. Okay, so, let’s pause.

How many of Jupiter’s moons have ice?

Three of Jupiter’s four largest moons are icy, and in 1998 NASA’s Galileo spacecraft detected tantalising hints of an ocean beneath one, Europa. Since then, further studies have detected signs of water plumes possibly erupting from this ocean.

Is Io visible to naked eye?

Bottom line: You can see Jupiter’s four largest moons – Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto, known as the Galilean satellites – with your own eyes with the help of binoculars or a small telescope.

Where is Io moon?

Jupiter
Io orbits Jupiter at a distance of 421,700 km (262,000 mi) from Jupiter’s center and 350,000 km (217,000 mi) from its cloudtops. It is the innermost of the Galilean satellites of Jupiter, its orbit lying between those of Thebe and Europa. Including Jupiter’s inner satellites, Io is the fifth moon out from Jupiter.

Is Io an icy moon?

Unlike most moons in the outer Solar System, which are mostly composed of water ice, Io is primarily composed of silicate rock surrounding a molten iron or iron sulfide core….Io (moon)

Discovery
Orbital period 1.769137786 d (152853.5047 s, 42.45930686 h)
Average orbital speed 17.334 km/s

How was Io discovered?

The Discovery of Io Io was the first of Jupiter’s moons discovered by Galileo Galilei on Jan. 8, 1610. Several spacecraft have flown by Jupiter and its moons. Pioneer 10 arrived first, in 1973, followed by Pioneer 11 in 1974.

Why is Io yellow?

Sulfur dioxide frost is ubiquitous across the surface of Io, forming large regions covered in white or grey materials. Sulfur is also seen in many places across Io, forming yellow to yellow-green regions.

What is Jupiter’s moon Io made of?

The interior of Io is composed of an iron or iron sulfide core and a brown silicate outer layer, giving the planet a splotchy orange, yellow, black, red, and white appearance. Based on data from scientific computer models, Io formed in a region around Jupiter where water ice was plentiful.

What are facts about Jupiter’s moon Io?

Io: Facts about Jupiter’s Volcanic Moon Io by the numbers. Age: Io is about 4.5 billion years old, about the same age as Jupiter. The Discovery of Io. Artist’s concept of the internal structure of Jupiter’s moon Io. Characteristics of Io. Hubble Space Telescope ultraviolet image of the northern pole of Jupiter. Explosive mysteries.

Is Io the closest moon to Jupiter?

Closest to Jupiter is Io, further away is Europa, and there are two large outer moons, Ganymede and Callisto . Io is so close to the planet that the pull of Jupiter’s gravity is constantly disturbing Io’s surface with volcanic eruptions.

How far is the moon Io from Jupiter?

Io orbits Jupiter at a distance of about 421,700 kilometres (262,032 miles). Jupiter’s closest moon is Metis which has an orbit of about 127,690 kilometres (79,343 miles). As a comparison, Earth’s moon is about 384,399 kilometres (238,854 miles) away from Earth.

How big is Io compared to Earth?

Earth is a planet smaller than Jupiter (the largest planet in the Solar System). Io has a mean equatorial radius of 1821.6 km. Earth has a mean equatorial radius of 6371 km. Io has a volume of 25,319,064,907 km^3.