Astronomy Picture of the Day 3-27-02

NASA ^ | 3-27-02 | Robert Nemiroff and Jerry Bonnell

[petuniasevan]

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

2002 March 27

Looking Into an Io Volcano
Credit: Galileo Project, JPL, NASA

Explanation: What would it look like to peer into one of the volcanoes currently active on Jupiter's moon Io? The caldera of Tupan Patera, named after a Brazilian thunder god, reveals itself to be a strange and dangerous place, replete with hot black lava, warm red sulfur deposits likely deposited from vented gas, and hilly yellow terrain also high in sulfur. The robot spacecraft Galileo currently orbiting Jupiter provided the above vista late last year when it swooped by the active world. Tupan Patera is actually a volcanic depression, surrounded by cliffs nearly a kilometer high. The width of the depression is about 75 kilometers. As Galileo has filled its mission objectives and is running low on maneuvering fuel, NASA plans to crash the spacecraft into Jupiter during 2003.

[petuniasevan]

Io is being turned inside out by Jupiter's strong gravitational tides.

[petuniasevan]

APOD PING!

As usual, if you want on (or off for some strange reason) the PING list just let me know!

If I missed your PING please remind me...I'm absentminded!

[aomagrat]

That's a mighty big BBQ pit.

[RightWhale]

How would you like to spend a few years working in the sulfur mines on Io? The pay would have to be stupendous, but I'll tell you, few of the miners would actually bring home much money. Most of it would be gone sometime between Friday payday and early Saturday morning. How is that possible, one might ask. That's how it has always been, that's how it will always be, comes the answer.

[petuniasevan]

Yep, and your meat will take on that good ol' he11-cooked flavor...

[petuniasevan]

LOL! Seriously, I remember reading a sci-fi short story which dealt with working on Io and dealing with just such perennial human foibles.

Problem is, the radiation flux from Jupiter is intense at Io's distance. Don't think anyone will remain too healthy for too long bathing their lungs in sulfur and their bodies in hard radiation.

[2Trievers]

"As Galileo has filled its mission objectives and is running low on maneuvering fuel, NASA plans to crash the spacecraft into Jupiter during 2003."

That's way cool ... if only the IRS were on board!

[altair]

Ben Bova's Jupiter dealt with working conditions around Jupiter. It was pretty nasty work and the staff had to be conscripted.

[Dawgsquat]

WHOO HOO!!!! It just got hot in here. Cool pic!

[farmfriend]

Thanks for the flag. Where did you get the cute little smiley face?

[petuniasevan]

APOD PING!

Welcome to the universe!

[Graewoulf]

Thanks for the ping. What we see on the surface of Io is the most acive heat vents puncturing a Mantle/Crust of any planet/moon in our Solar system.

It is a good reminder of what the Earth looked like when our Mantle was thin.

[Joan912]

My 11 year-old daughter just finished a report on Jupiter and its moons - she will be thrilled to see Io! :)