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Sulfuric Acid on Europa
Frozen sulfuric acid on Jupi …
9/1/99
Date 9/1/99
Description Frozen sulfuric acid on Jupiter's moon Europa is depicted in this image produced from data gathered by NASA's Galileo spacecraft. The brightest areas, where the yellow is most intense, represent regions of high frozen sulfuric acid concentration. Sulfuric acid is found in battery acid and in Earth's acid rain. This image is based on data gathered by Galileo's near infrared mapping spectrometer. Europa's leading hemisphere is toward the bottom right, and there are enhanced concentrations of sulfuric acid in the trailing side of Europa (the upper left side of the image). This is the face of Europa that is struck by sulfur ions coming from Jupiter's innermost moon, Io. The long, narrow features that crisscross Europa also show sulfuric acid that may be from sulfurous material extruded in cracks. Galileo, launched in 1989, has been orbiting Jupiter and its moons since December 1995. JPL manages the Galileo mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington DC. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA. #####
Callisto's Southern Hemisphe …
PIA01079
Jupiter
Near Infrared Mapping Spectr …
Title Callisto's Southern Hemisphere as Viewed by NIMS & SSI
Original Caption Released with Image Callisto's southern hemisphere was "imaged" by both the Near Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (NIMS) and the Solid State Imaging (SSI) instrument during Galileo's eighth orbit of Jupiter. The data from the two instruments has been mosaiced to produce this unique view. Related releases and detailed captions are available for theNIMS [ http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA01078 ] andSSI [ http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA01077 ] products. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA manages the Galileo mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, DC. JPL is an operating division of California Institute of Technology (Caltech). This image and other images and data received from Galileo are posted on the World Wide Web, on the Galileo mission home page at URL http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/ galileo.
Callisto's Southern Hemisphe …
PIA01078
Jupiter
Near Infrared Mapping Spectr …
Title Callisto's Southern Hemisphere
Original Caption Released with Image These views of Callisto's southern hemisphere were taken by the Near Infrared Mapping Spectrometer just after closest approach in orbit G8 on May 6, 1997. These false color images show surface compositional differences, red = more ice, blue = less ice. The upper left view contains Buri, a crater with a diameter of about 60 km. In the infrared spectrum, Buri and the rays that extend from the crater have high abundance of water ice compared to the surrounding region. The center view, a large (200 km or 120 mile diameter) unnamed impact crater with a distinct ring or circle around it reveals a complex mix of ice and non-ice materials. This is possibly due to impact excavation of the ice-rich subsurface which suggests that the darker material is just a thin surface covering caused by impact debris or a lag deposit from which the ice has evaporated away. The infrared data shows spectral signatures for both sulfur and carbon as two potential materials which could play a part in the complicated make-up of Callisto's surface. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA manages the Galileo mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, DC. JPL is an operating division of California Institute of Technology (Caltech). This image and other images and data received from Galileo are posted on the World Wide Web, on the Galileo mission home page at URL http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov.
A New Hot Spot on Northern I …
PIA03602
Jupiter
Near Infrared Mapping Spectr …
Title A New Hot Spot on Northern Io
Original Caption Released with Image NASA's Galileo spacecraft has returned infrared imagery of a new hot spot on Jupiter's moon Io that was the source of a towering plume in August 2001, indicating a sulfur-dioxide concentration that may have been fallout from the plume. Galileo's near-infrared mapping spectrometer captured the image on the left during an Oct. 16, 2001 flyby of Io. Coloring indicates the intensity of glowing at a wavelength of 4.1 microns. Yellow, red, and white represent high temperatures. Black is where the near-infrared glow was so intense the image was saturated. Greens and blues are cold. The visible-light image on the right was obtained by Galileo's camera in 1999, before any volcanic activity was seen at this site. The first sign of activity came in August 2001, when Galileo detected an infrared hot spot and the tallest volcanic plume ever seen at Io. The dark blue band north of the hot spot in the new infrared image represents a concentration of sulfur-dioxide, which has a strong signature in the infrared. The sulfur-dioxide is thought to be from the fallout of the plume. The image shows high temperatures corresponding to yellow flows in the center of the visible-light image, and from a small caldera at the 8 o'lock position. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Galileo mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. Additional information about Galileo and its discoveries is available on the Galileo mission home page at http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov [ http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov ]. Background information and educational context for the images can be found at http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/io.cfm [ http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/io.cfm ].
Io's Tupan Caldera in Infrar …
PIA03601
Jupiter
Near Infrared Mapping Spectr …
Title Io's Tupan Caldera in Infrared
Original Caption Released with Image Tupan Caldera, a volcanic crater on Jupiter's moon Io, has a relatively cool area, possibly an island, in its center, as indicated by infrared imagery from NASA's Galileo spacecraft. A thermal portrait of Tupan collected by the near-infrared mapping instrument on Galileo during an Oct. 16, 2001 flyby is presented on the right, beside a visible-light image from Galileo's camera for geographical context. The infrared image uses false color to indicate intensity of glowing at a wavelength of 4.7 microns. Reds and yellows indicate hotter regions, blues are cold. The hottest areas correspond to the dark portions in the visible-light image and are probably hot lavas. The central region in the crater may be an island or a topographically high region. Parts of it are cold enough for sulfur-dioxide to condense. Tupan, an active volcano on Io since at least 1996, was named for the Brazilian native god of thunder. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Galileo mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. Additional information about Galileo and its discoveries is available on the Galileo mission home page at http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov [ http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov ]. Background information and educational context for the images can be found at http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/io.cfm [ http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/io.cfm ].
Amirani Lava Flow on Io
PIA03533
Jupiter
Near Infrared Mapping Spectr …
Title Amirani Lava Flow on Io
Original Caption Released with Image The Amirani lava flow on Jupiter's moon Io appears to be made up of many individual flows, the newest flows are the brightest spots in this infrared image from NASA's Galileo spacecraft. The thermal map from Galileo's near-infrared mapping spectrometer instrument is presented on the left, beside a reference picture of the same area from Galileo's camera. The infrared image uses false color to indicate intensity of glowing at a wavelength of 5 microns. White, reds and yellows indicate hotter regions, blues are cold. North is to the top. Amirani is the largest active lava flow known in the solar system. Galileo has previously observed many changes in its flows [ http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA02585 ]. In this infrared image, Amirani includes the two brightest spots and two others closest to that pair. The image also shows three other active volcanoes on Io: Maui (lower left, corresponding to a dark, roughly circular area in the reference image), Dusurra (top, corresponding to the dark, roughly circular area at the top of the reference image) and an unnamed hot spot that appears as an elongated small feature in the reference image between Dussura and the Amirani flow. Of Amirani's four bright areas, the one on the lower left corresponds to what is thought to be the flow's vent: a dark elongated crater surrounded by red materials. Red deposits are indicative of recent plume activity on Io. The other three bright areas along the flow correspond to where hot lavas are breaking out. Notice that the dark flow going from the main flow to the left is not seen in the infrared image. This indicates that this flow has cooled and is no longer active. NASA's Voyager spacecraft detected a plume more than 20 years ago from a location near the end of this now-inactive flow. The plume was probably created by interaction of the hot flow with sulfur-dioxide frost, in the same way as Io's Prometheus plume [ http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA02512 ]. Once the flow cooled, the plume shut off. This infrared image was taken on Aug. 6, 2001. It has a resolution of about 9 kilometers (6 miles) per picture element. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Galileo mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. Additional information about Galileo and its discoveries is available on the Galileo mission home page at http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov [ http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov ] .
Io in Infrared with Giant Pl …
PIA03534
Jupiter
Near Infrared Mapping Spectr …
Title Io in Infrared with Giant Plume's New Hot Spot
Original Caption Released with Image Nine previously unknown volcanoes have been discovered from this infrared image of Jupiter's moon Io, acquired by NASA's Galileo spacecraft on Oct. 16, 2001. The infrared image, on the right, serves as a thermal map to a section of Io's surface from pole to pole. An image from Galileo's camera showing the same face of Io (left) is included for correlating the heat-sensing infrared data with geological features apparent in visible wavelengths. The infrared image uses false color to portray the intensity with which the surface glows at the invisible wavelength of 5 microns, as observed by Galileo's near infrared mapping spectrometer instrument. White, reds and yellows indicate hotter regions, blues are cold. The resolution varies from 24 to 39 kilometers (15 to 24 miles) per picture element. Some of the hot spots visible in this image were not seen in a similar infrared image taken just 10 weeks earlier [ http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA02591 ] of an overlapping section of Io. Three sites of major activity in the images are Prometheus, which is a bright spot at center left, Amirani, which is an elongated feature in the upper right, and the site where a giant plume was erupting in August, which is the bright spot near the top of the image. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Galileo mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. Additional information about Galileo and its discoveries is available on the Galileo mission home page at http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov [ http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov ] .
Io in Infrared, Night and Da …
PIA03535
Jupiter
Near Infrared Mapping Spectr …
Title Io in Infrared, Night and Day
Original Caption Released with Image Hot eruption sites scattered across Jupiter's moon Io stand out dramatically in an infrared image taken Oct. 13, 2001, by NASA's Galileo spacecraft as it sped past this most volcanically active of all known worlds. The infrared image (right) serves as a thermal map to nearly a full hemisphere of Io. An image from Galileo's camera showing the same face of Io (left) is included for correlating the heat-sensing infrared data with geological features apparent in visible wavelengths. When Galileo snapped the infrared shot, the left half of the hemisphere was actually in darkness and the right half in daylight. The infrared image uses false color to portray the intensity with which the surface glows at the invisible wavelength of 5 microns, as observed by Galileo's near infrared mapping spectrometer instrument. White, reds and yellows indicate hotter regions, blues are cold. The resolution varies from 83 to 93 kilometers (52 to 58 miles) per picture element. Four previously unknown volcanoes have been discovered from this image, including one also detected in another infrared image taken the same day. Those new-found hot spots are faint. Among the more easily identified brighter volcanoes in the image are the pair Pillan and Pele located near the left-hand edge at about 8 o'clock if the circular image is taken as a clock face. Marduk is located a little farther from the edge at 7 o'clock. The bright spot at about 2 o'clock is the site where a plume was seen erupting about 500 kilometers (320 miles) high 10 weeks before this image was taken. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Galileo mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. Additional information about Galileo and its discoveries is available on the Galileo mission home page at http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov [ http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov ] .
Lack of visible change aroun …
PIA01065
Jupiter
Solid-State Imaging
Title Lack of visible change around active hotspots on Io
Original Caption Released with Image Detail of changes around two hotspots on Jupiter's moon Io as seen by Voyager 1 in April 1979 (left) and NASA's Galileo spacecraft on September 7th, 1996 (middle and right). The right frame was created with images from the Galileo Solid State Imaging system's near-infrared (756 nm), green, and violet filters. For better comparison, the middle frame mimics Voyager colors. The calderas at the top and at the lower right of the images correspond to the locations of hotspots detected by the Near Infrared Mapping Spectrometer aboard the Galileo spacecraft during its second orbit. There are no significant morphologic changes around these hot calderas, however, the diffuse red deposits, which are simply dark in the Voyager colors, appear to be associated with recent and/or ongoing volcanic activity. The three calderas range in size from approximately 100 kilometers to approximately 150 kilometers in diameter. The caldera in the lower right of each frame is named Malik. North is to the top of all frames. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA manages the Galileo mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, DC. JPL is an operating division of California Institute of Technology (Caltech). This image and other images and data received from Galileo are posted on the World Wide Web, on the Galileo mission home page at URL http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov. Background information and educational context for the images can be found at URL http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/galileo/sepo
A Compositional Map of the T …
PIA01098
Jupiter
Solid-State Imaging
Title A Compositional Map of the Tyre Region of Europa
Original Caption Released with Image This composite image of part of the Jupiter moon, Europa, shows the distribution of ice and minerals for the structure named Tyre. The image was created with data from Galileo's Solid State Imaging (SSI) camera and the Near Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (NIMS). Tyre, the circular feature, is 140 kilometers in diameter (about the size of the island of Hawaii) and is thought to be the site where an asteroid or comet impacted Europa's ice crust. The blue in this image indicates areas with higher concentrations of mineral salts. These salts are similar in composition to those found in the bottom of Death Valley, California. The yellow-orange regions are areas that have a high surface abundance of water ice. The center of this impact feature (located at 34 degrees latitude and 146.5 degrees longitude) appears to have a surface composed of coarse-grained ice. This composite image is approximately 214 kilometers wide and is the product of a SSI image of 595 meters per picture element and a NIMS 6.26 kilometer per picture element observation. The SSI image and NIMS data were obtained on April 4, 1997 at ranges of 703,776 and 688,737 kilometers respectively. This image is projected like a map where north is up and is illuminated by sunlight coming from the west. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA manages the Galileo mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, DC. JPL is an operating division of California Institute of Technology (Caltech). This image and other images and data received from Galileo are posted on the World Wide Web, on the Galileo mission home page at URL http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/ galileo.
Sulfuric Acid on Europa
PIA02500
Jupiter
Near Infrared Mapping Spectr …
Title Sulfuric Acid on Europa
Original Caption Released with Image Frozen sulfuric acid on Jupiter's moon Europa is depicted in this image produced from data gathered by NASA's Galileo spacecraft. The brightest areas, where the yellow is most intense, represent regions of high frozen sulfuric acid concentration. Sulfuric acid is found in battery acid and in Earth's acid rain. This image is based on data gathered by Galileo's near infrared mapping spectrometer. Europa's leading hemisphere is toward the bottom right, and there are enhanced concentrations of sulfuric acid in the trailing side of Europa(the upper left side of the image). This is the face of Europa that is struck by sulfur ions coming from Jupiter's innermost moon, Io. The long, narrow features that crisscross Europa also show sulfuric acid that may be from sulfurous material extruded in cracks. Galileo, launched in 1989, has been orbiting Jupiter and its moons since December 1995. JPL manages the Galileo mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington DC. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA.
Europa: Sea Salts or Battery …
PIA02529
Jupiter
Near Infrared Mapping Spectr …
Title Europa: Sea Salts or Battery Acid
Original Caption Released with Image This composite image of the Jupiter-facing hemisphere of Europa was obtained on November 25, 1999 by two instruments onboard NASA's Galileo spacecraft. The global black-and-white view, by the spacecraft's camera, provides the highest resolution view ever obtained of this side of Europa. The superimposed false-color image, obtained by Galileo's near-infrared mapping spectrometer instrument, reveals the presence of materials with differing compositions on Europa's surface. In this image, blue areas represent the cleanest, brightest icy surfaces, while the reddest areas have the highest concentrations of darker, non-ice materials. The mixture of colors seen here is most likely the result of both variations in the ages and composition of surface materials. The dark materials are believed to fade with the passage of time. This area is highly unusual compared to many other areas on Europa because of its high concentration of fresh-appearing bright ridges and fractures. On other parts of Europa, the darker areas appear to be the most recently formed, but here the ridges and fractures appear to "overprint" the underlying darker mottled terrain. Scientists disagree about the chemical makeup of the dark materials, both sulfuric acid (common battery acid) and salty minerals, perhaps from a subsurface ocean, have been suggested. Analysis of images like this one may help to resolve this controversy. Surprisingly, either material could help to produce conditions below the surface that could be favorable to the formation of living organisms. The colored area is centered near the intersection of the equator and the European "prime meridian," where the longitude is assigned the value of 0 degrees. This is the sub-Jupiter point, where Jupiter always appears to be almost directly overhead. This phenomenon occurs because Europa takes the same period of time to rotate as it does to orbit around Jupiter (3.55 days). The area imaged in color is about 400 by 400 kilometers (250 by 250 miles), an area of about 160,000 square kilometers (about 62,000 square miles). Click on this thumbnail image above to view the above image in a Global context. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA manages the Galileo mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, DC. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA. This image and other images and data received from Galileo are posted on the Galileo home page at http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov [ http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov ]. Background information and educational context for the images can be found at http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/io.cfm [ http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/io.cfm ].
Europa: Sea Salts or Battery …
PIA02529
Jupiter
Near Infrared Mapping Spectr …
Title Europa: Sea Salts or Battery Acid
Original Caption Released with Image This composite image of the Jupiter-facing hemisphere of Europa was obtained on November 25, 1999 by two instruments onboard NASA's Galileo spacecraft. The global black-and-white view, by the spacecraft's camera, provides the highest resolution view ever obtained of this side of Europa. The superimposed false-color image, obtained by Galileo's near-infrared mapping spectrometer instrument, reveals the presence of materials with differing compositions on Europa's surface. In this image, blue areas represent the cleanest, brightest icy surfaces, while the reddest areas have the highest concentrations of darker, non-ice materials. The mixture of colors seen here is most likely the result of both variations in the ages and composition of surface materials. The dark materials are believed to fade with the passage of time. This area is highly unusual compared to many other areas on Europa because of its high concentration of fresh-appearing bright ridges and fractures. On other parts of Europa, the darker areas appear to be the most recently formed, but here the ridges and fractures appear to "overprint" the underlying darker mottled terrain. Scientists disagree about the chemical makeup of the dark materials, both sulfuric acid (common battery acid) and salty minerals, perhaps from a subsurface ocean, have been suggested. Analysis of images like this one may help to resolve this controversy. Surprisingly, either material could help to produce conditions below the surface that could be favorable to the formation of living organisms. The colored area is centered near the intersection of the equator and the European "prime meridian," where the longitude is assigned the value of 0 degrees. This is the sub-Jupiter point, where Jupiter always appears to be almost directly overhead. This phenomenon occurs because Europa takes the same period of time to rotate as it does to orbit around Jupiter (3.55 days). The area imaged in color is about 400 by 400 kilometers (250 by 250 miles), an area of about 160,000 square kilometers (about 62,000 square miles). Click on this thumbnail image above to view the above image in a Global context. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA manages the Galileo mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, DC. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA. This image and other images and data received from Galileo are posted on the Galileo home page at http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov [ http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov ]. Background information and educational context for the images can be found at http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/io.cfm [ http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/io.cfm ].
Galileo PPR temperature maps …
PIA02524
Jupiter
Title Galileo PPR temperature maps of Loki in October 1999
Original Caption Released with Image Like a terrestrial weather map, this map made by the photopolarimeter-radiometer onboard NASA's Galileo spacecraft shows how temperatures vary across the surface of Jupiter's moon Io. However, in this case the temperatures are due to volcanic activity, not weather. The maps show Io's most powerful volcano, Loki, which was in the throes of one of its periodic bright eruptions when the map was made during Galileo's close flyby of Io on October. The background to the temperature map is a Galileo image of Loki taken earlier in the Galileo mission. Loki's most prominent feature is the huge horseshoe-shaped dark caldera, 200 kilometers (120 miles) across. These observations reveal that most of the lava lake is at a remarkably uniform temperature, about -23 degrees C (-9 degrees F). This is chilly by Earth standards, but on Io, where most of the surface is colder than -145 degrees C (-230 degrees F), enormous amounts of volcanic heat are required to keep such a large area at this temperature. The uniform temperature, which was also seen by Galileo's Near Infrared Mapping Spectrometer, could be due to a uniformly thick frozen crust over a lake of molten lava, or to a series of old lava flows that have been cooling down for a year or two since they erupted. The southwestern corner of the caldera is much hotter the highest resolution photopolarimeter-radiometer observation shows peak temperatures of at least 126 degrees C (260 F). It is likely that this is the site of the new eruption that began in September, and that fresh lava erupting there will eventually spill out from this region to warm up the parts of the caldera to the east and north. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA manages the Galileo mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, DC. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA. This image and other images and data received from Galileo are posted on the Galileo mission home page at http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov [ http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov ]. Background information and educational context for the images can be found at http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/io.cfm [ http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/io.cfm ].
Eruption from High Latitude …
PIA02521
Jupiter
Near Infrared Mapping Spectr …
Title Eruption from High Latitude Caldera Viewed by the Near-Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (NIMS)
Original Caption Released with Image A very active volcano on Jupiter's moon Io, probably composed of erupting lava fountains, was seen by the Near-Infrared Mapping Spectrometer onboard NASA's Galileo spacecraft. The volcano is shown here (in color)superimposed on the camera image that was taken almost simultaneously [ http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA02519 ]. The spectrometer observation covers the eastern part of the active caldera and shows a hot, active region (in red). The blue color represents cool terrain surrounding the caldera. The spectrometer instrument can detect heat from active volcanic regions by imaging them in near-infrared light (0.7 to 5.2 micron wavelengths). Determining temperatures of the hot region has been difficult because the lava is so hot that it exceeded the upper limit that the instrument could measure. The lava is at least 700 degrees Celsius 1,292 degrees F), but the hotter regions within the caldera probably exceed 1,200 Celsius (2,192 degrees F) The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA manages the Galileo mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, DC. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA. This image and other images and data received from Galileo are posted on the Galileo mission home page at http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov [ http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov ]. Background information and educational context for the images can be found at http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/io.cfm [ http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/io.cfm ].
Io's Prometheus Regions as V …
PIA02515
Jupiter
Near Infrared Mapping Spectr …
Title Io's Prometheus Regions as Viewed by Galileo NIMS
Original Caption Released with Image http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov [ http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov ]. Background information and educational context for the images can be found at http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/io.cfm [ http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/io.cfm ]., This image shows the region around the Prometheus volcano on Jupiter's moon Io. It was observed by the near-infrared mapping spectrometer on NASA's Galileo spacecraft as it was flying away from a close approach to Io. The area shown is about 1.6 million square kilometers (about 600,000 square miles), roughly the size of the "four corner states" (Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado). The spectrometer instrument detects heat emitted by objects that is not visible to the naked eye. The image on the left was taken by Galileo's camera in visible wavelengths, it shows the context for the center and right images. The center and right images show spectrometer data at wavelengths of 1.3 and 4.2 microns respectively. The spectrometer can determine surface composition by measuring the spectrum of reflected sunlight, and can measure thermal emission from Io's hot lava. Prometheus is seen near the center of the three images. The image in the center, taken by the spectrometer at 1.3 microns, shows variations in light and dark surface materials, which result from variations in composition. The spectrometer thermal map (image on right) at 4.2 microns shows where the most heat is being produced from active volcanoes on the surface. The bright colors are used to indicate hot areas. Ten active volcanic regions(hot spots) are seen in this image. Four faint hot spots near the top of the image were not known to be active volcanoes before this image was acquired. All the hot spots correspond to dark areas in the visible wavelengths. This indicates that where the camera shows dark regions on Io, the infrared observations reveal that those regions contain hot lava. A distinct, dark ring can be seen clearly in the spectrometer's 4.2-micron map. The ring indicates a higher local concentration of sulfur dioxide, which appears dark at this wavelength. The dark ring is slightly larger in diameter than the bright ring that can be seen in the visible light camera image and the spectrometer's 1.3-micron image. This contradicts a previous belief that regions rich in sulfur dioxide on Io's surface appear white at visible wavelengths. The Prometheus ring is believed to be composed of fallout from the Prometheus volcanic plume. It is possible that both sulfur and sulfur dioxide are present in the plume, and that the bright white ring represents mostly sulfur deposits. Because sulfur dioxide is more volatile than sulfur, it may not condense and stick to the surface as close to the volcanic vent as sulfur does. Launched in October 1989, Galileo entered orbit around Jupiter on December 7, 1995 on a mission to study the giant planet, its largest moons and its magnetic environment. JPL manages the mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, DC. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA. This image and other images and data received from Galileo are posted on the World Wide Web, on the Galileo mission home page at
Loki as viewed by Galileo NI …
PIA02514
Jupiter
Near Infrared Mapping Spectr …
Title Loki as viewed by Galileo NIMS
Original Caption Released with Image This image shows Loki, the most powerful volcano in the solar system, which has been constantly active on Jupiter's moon Io for at least 20 years. NASA's Galileo spacecraft took these images during its approach to Io on October 10, 1999. One of the spacecraft's instruments, the near infrared mapping spectrometer, was used to capture this observation. The instrument detects heat from objects in the infrared wavelengths not visible to the naked eye. Loki is a volcanic caldera about 200 kilometers (124 miles) across, nearly four times the width of the Yellowstone caldera on Earth. On the left side of the top image is a picture taken in visible light wavelengths by Galileo's camera showing the context of the NIMS image on the right. This thermal map taken by the spectrometer at 4.7 microns shows that heat is being emitted from the areas that are dark in the camera image. The bottom image shows additional spectrometer data obtained as the platform that holds the instrument on the spacecraft was moving toward the next target. This repositioned scan (shown as the zig-zag pattern) allowed the spectrometer to sample the warm, dark floor of the Loki caldera and the cold regions outside the caldera. The thermal map shows that the dark materials on the floor of Loki are cooling lava, near zero degrees Celsius(32 Fahrenheit). This substantially hotter than Io's surface temperature of about -180 degrees Celsius (-300 Fahrenheit). In previous observations, higher lava temperatures have been measured by the spectrometer at Loki, with temperatures similar to those of basaltic lava on Earth. The lighter, colored area in the camera image, which appears to be an island, is cold, which means it has not been active recently. The spectrometer detects both reflected sunlight and thermal emission from hot materials on the surface. This observation was taken on Io's nightside to avoid mixing sunlight with the thermal emission from hot lavas. Launched in October 1989, Galileo entered orbit around Jupiter on December 7, 1995 on a mission to study the giant planet, its largest moons and its magnetic environment. JPL manages the mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, DC. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA. This image and other images and data received from Galileo are posted on the World Wide Web, on the Galileo mission home page at http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov [ http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov ]. Background information and educational context for the images can be found at http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/io.cfm [ http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/io.cfm ].
Loki as viewed by Galileo NI …
PIA02514
Jupiter
Near Infrared Mapping Spectr …
Title Loki as viewed by Galileo NIMS
Original Caption Released with Image This image shows Loki, the most powerful volcano in the solar system, which has been constantly active on Jupiter's moon Io for at least 20 years. NASA's Galileo spacecraft took these images during its approach to Io on October 10, 1999. One of the spacecraft's instruments, the near infrared mapping spectrometer, was used to capture this observation. The instrument detects heat from objects in the infrared wavelengths not visible to the naked eye. Loki is a volcanic caldera about 200 kilometers (124 miles) across, nearly four times the width of the Yellowstone caldera on Earth. On the left side of the top image is a picture taken in visible light wavelengths by Galileo's camera showing the context of the NIMS image on the right. This thermal map taken by the spectrometer at 4.7 microns shows that heat is being emitted from the areas that are dark in the camera image. The bottom image shows additional spectrometer data obtained as the platform that holds the instrument on the spacecraft was moving toward the next target. This repositioned scan (shown as the zig-zag pattern) allowed the spectrometer to sample the warm, dark floor of the Loki caldera and the cold regions outside the caldera. The thermal map shows that the dark materials on the floor of Loki are cooling lava, near zero degrees Celsius(32 Fahrenheit). This substantially hotter than Io's surface temperature of about -180 degrees Celsius (-300 Fahrenheit). In previous observations, higher lava temperatures have been measured by the spectrometer at Loki, with temperatures similar to those of basaltic lava on Earth. The lighter, colored area in the camera image, which appears to be an island, is cold, which means it has not been active recently. The spectrometer detects both reflected sunlight and thermal emission from hot materials on the surface. This observation was taken on Io's nightside to avoid mixing sunlight with the thermal emission from hot lavas. Launched in October 1989, Galileo entered orbit around Jupiter on December 7, 1995 on a mission to study the giant planet, its largest moons and its magnetic environment. JPL manages the mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, DC. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA. This image and other images and data received from Galileo are posted on the World Wide Web, on the Galileo mission home page at http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov [ http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov ]. Background information and educational context for the images can be found at http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/io.cfm [ http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/io.cfm ].
Loki as viewed by Galileo NI …
PIA02514
Jupiter
Near Infrared Mapping Spectr …
Title Loki as viewed by Galileo NIMS
Original Caption Released with Image This image shows Loki, the most powerful volcano in the solar system, which has been constantly active on Jupiter's moon Io for at least 20 years. NASA's Galileo spacecraft took these images during its approach to Io on October 10, 1999. One of the spacecraft's instruments, the near infrared mapping spectrometer, was used to capture this observation. The instrument detects heat from objects in the infrared wavelengths not visible to the naked eye. Loki is a volcanic caldera about 200 kilometers (124 miles) across, nearly four times the width of the Yellowstone caldera on Earth. On the left side of the top image is a picture taken in visible light wavelengths by Galileo's camera showing the context of the NIMS image on the right. This thermal map taken by the spectrometer at 4.7 microns shows that heat is being emitted from the areas that are dark in the camera image. The bottom image shows additional spectrometer data obtained as the platform that holds the instrument on the spacecraft was moving toward the next target. This repositioned scan (shown as the zig-zag pattern) allowed the spectrometer to sample the warm, dark floor of the Loki caldera and the cold regions outside the caldera. The thermal map shows that the dark materials on the floor of Loki are cooling lava, near zero degrees Celsius(32 Fahrenheit). This substantially hotter than Io's surface temperature of about -180 degrees Celsius (-300 Fahrenheit). In previous observations, higher lava temperatures have been measured by the spectrometer at Loki, with temperatures similar to those of basaltic lava on Earth. The lighter, colored area in the camera image, which appears to be an island, is cold, which means it has not been active recently. The spectrometer detects both reflected sunlight and thermal emission from hot materials on the surface. This observation was taken on Io's nightside to avoid mixing sunlight with the thermal emission from hot lavas. Launched in October 1989, Galileo entered orbit around Jupiter on December 7, 1995 on a mission to study the giant planet, its largest moons and its magnetic environment. JPL manages the mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, DC. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA. This image and other images and data received from Galileo are posted on the World Wide Web, on the Galileo mission home page at http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov [ http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov ]. Background information and educational context for the images can be found at http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/io.cfm [ http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/io.cfm ].
Galileo NIMS Observes Amiran …
PIA02516
Jupiter
Near Infrared Mapping Spectr …
Title Galileo NIMS Observes Amirani
Original Caption Released with Image This image is the highest-resolution thermal, or heat image, ever made of Amirani, a large volcano on Jupiter's moon Io. It was taken on October 10, 1999, by the near-infrared mapping spectrometer onboard NASA's Galileo spacecraft. Amirani is on the side of Io that permanently faces away from Jupiter. This image of Amirani was taken at a distance of less than 25,000 kilometers (16,000 miles). The picture scale is approximately 6.5 kilometers (4 miles) per spectrometer pixel. The center and right images show views of Amirani as seen by the spectrometer at two wavelengths, 1.0 and 4.6 microns. These images can be compared with a visible wavelength image (on the left) of the same area obtained by Galileo's camera during a previous orbit. The visible light image shows extensive lava flows and a dark-floored caldera with associated bright red deposits of material fed from the volcano. The spectrometer observation was made in daylight. The center image, taken at a wavelength of 1 micron, shows light and dark areas on the surface that can be used to line up the spectrometer data with the camera image. The image on the right shows the same area at a wavelength of 4.6 microns, which reveals the thermal emission from three separate volcanic areas. The locations of these three "hot spots" correspond to the darkest features in the camera image, reinforcing a previously held belief by Galileo scientists that there is a correlation between the dark areas and the hot spots. The three spectrometer hot spots are located at the eastern edge of the caldera at the bottom of the camera image, and two locations along the massive Amirani flows. These are most likely active lava flows on the surface. Launched in October 1989, Galileo entered orbit around Jupiter on December 7, 1995 on a mission to study the giant planet, its largest moons and its magnetic environment. JPL manages the mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, DC. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA. This image and other images and data received from Galileo are posted on the World Wide Web, on the Galileo mission home page at http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov [ http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov ]. Background information and educational context for the images can be found at http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/io.cfm [ http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/io.cfm ].
Prometheus silicates/sulfur …
PIA02543
Jupiter
Near Infrared Mapping Spectr …
Title Prometheus silicates/sulfur dioxide/NIMS
Original Caption Released with Image The Prometheus region of Jupiter's moon Io was imaged by the camera onboard NASA's Galileo spacecraft in July 1999 (A), and by the spacecraft's near-infrared mapping spectrometer during its October 10, 1999 flyby (B). The maps made from spectrometer data show the interplay between hot silicates on the surface and sulfur dioxide frost. Hot spots (active volcanoes) appear red in the spectrometer image (B), while sulfur dioxide frost appears blue. Hot spots known from prior observations are labeled 1(Prometheus), 5 (Camaxtli), 7 (Tupan) and 8 (Culann). Hot spots labeled 2,3, 4, and 6 were first discovered in this observation. The color bar scale in (B) represents radiance in units of solar irradiance/pi. The sulfur dioxide deposition ring around Prometheus is clearly seen in the center of the image, formed as sulfur dioxide from the currently active plume condenses away from the vent. Image (C) is a map of the relative band-depth of the sulfur dioxide absorption band that is detected by the spectrometer. Image (D) is a qualitative map of the distribution of sulfur dioxide frost on the surface. The color bar in (D) represents the fractional area covered by sulfur dioxide frost. The area shown in each panel is about 1,300 km (800 miles) across. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA manages the mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, DC. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA. This image and other images and data received from Galileo are posted on the Galileo mission home page at http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov [ http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov ]. Background information and educational context for the images can be found at http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/io.cfm [ http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/io.cfm ].
Loki Patera/NIMS
PIA02541
Jupiter
Near Infrared Mapping Spectr …
Title Loki Patera/NIMS
Original Caption Released with Image This image of Loki Patera on Jupiter's volcanic moon Io shows data taken by the near-infrared mapping spectrometer onboard NASA's Galileo spacecraft during its Io flyby on October 10, 1999, superimposed on a Galileo camera image 162 kilometers (100 miles) across. The spectrometer observation has been translated into two types of temperature maps. Image A represents brightness temperatures, which are calculated by assuming that each whole pixel is at a uniform temperature. This map shows that the dark caldera floor is warm, while the light-colored island in the middle of the caldera and the terrain outside the caldera are cool. The scale on the side gives the temperatures in degrees Kelvin (280Kelvins = 45 degrees Fahrenheit, warm compared to the temperature of Io's surface, which is about 122 Kelvin, or -240 Fahrenheit). Image B represents color temperatures, which are calculated assuming the areas emitting heat can be smaller than the area of a single pixel. This map shows that the hottest temperatures (up to 460 Kelvin or 370 F) are seen in a crack running through the center of the island. The maps indicate that the floor and crack on the caldera are filled with cooling lava flows, the youngest (and therefore hottest) lavas being those in the crack. These lavas are thought to be a few months old. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA manages the mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, DC. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA. This image and other images and data received from Galileo are posted on the Galileo mission home page at http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov [ http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov ]. Background information and educational context for the images can be found at http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/io.cfm [ http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/io.cfm ].
Culann Patera/NIMS
PIA02544
Jupiter
Near Infrared Mapping Spectr …
Title Culann Patera/NIMS
Original Caption Released with Image The Culann Patera volcano on Jupiter's moon Io was observed by the near-infrared mapping spectrometer instrument onboard NASA's Galileo spacecraft during its Io flyby on November 25, 1999. The instrument obtained spectral data over part of Culann. The spectra were made into a map of the relative amounts of sulfur dioxide frost, superimposed on an image taken by Galileo's camera in July 1999. In the map, white represents more sulfur dioxide. The image is about 340 kilometers (210 miles) across. The red deposits around Culann and many other volcanoes on Io are thought to be short-chain sulfur molecules (S3 and S4). The spectrometer data shows that the red deposits coincide with enhanced concentrations of sulfur dioxide frost. This is interpreted as being caused by a plume that produced both sulfur and sulfur dioxide, depositing both materials in the same locations. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA manages the mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, DC. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA. This image and other images and data received from Galileo are posted on the Galileo mission home page at http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov [ http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov ]. Background information and educational context for the images can be found at http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/io.cfm [ http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/io.cfm ].
Prometheus/NIMS
PIA02542
Jupiter
Near Infrared Mapping Spectr …
Title Prometheus/NIMS
Original Caption Released with Image Volcanic "hot spots" are seen in this color temperature map of the Prometheus volcano (A) on Jupiter's moon Io created with data obtained by the near-infrared mapping spectrometer onboard NASA's Galileo spacecraft during the flyby of Io on October 10, 1999. An image obtained by Galileo's onboard camera during an earlier orbit is also shown (B). The dark area in the camera image is a lava flow about 80 kilometers (50 miles) long. Two major hot areas are seen in the spectrometer data. The eastern hot spot(right) is located near the site of a plume observed by NASA's Voyager spacecraft in 1979. The cooler western hot spot (left) coincides with the location of the current plume. This temperature map supports the idea that the main vent of the volcano is on the eastern side, and that the plume is erupting from a "rootless vent," created as the hot lava flow interacted with sulfur dioxide snow. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA manages the mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, DC. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA. This image and other images and data received from Galileo are posted on the Galileo mission home page at http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov [ http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov ]. Background information and educational context for the images can be found at http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/io.cfm [ http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/io.cfm ].
Ammonia Ice near Jupiter's G …
PIA02569
Sol (our sun)
Near Infrared Mapping Spectr …
Title Ammonia Ice near Jupiter's Great Red Spot
Original Caption Released with Image The first discrete ammonia ice cloud positively identified on Jupiter is shown in this image taken by NASA's Galileo spacecraft. Ammonia ice (light blue) is shown in clouds to the northwest (upper left) of the Great Red Spot (large red spot in middle of figure). This unusual cloud, inside the turbulent wake region near the Great Red Spot, is produced by powerful updrafts of ammonia-laden air from deep within Jupiter's atmosphere. These updrafts are generated by the turbulence induced in Jupiter's massive westward-moving air currents by the nearby Great Red Spot. This false-color image was composed from several near-infrared color images obtained by the Galileo's near-infrared mapping spectrometer on June 26, 1996. Reddish-orange areas show high-level clouds, yellow areas depict mid-level clouds, and green areas depict lower-level clouds. Darker areas are cloud-free regions. Light blue depicts regions of middle-to-high-altitude-level ammonia ice clouds. The Great Red Spot, which has existed for at least 300 years, is the oldest and largest weather system in our solar system. It measures over 20,000 kilometers wide (over 12,400 miles), which is about twice as wide as Earth. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., manages the mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. This image and other images and data received from Galileo are posted on the World Wide Web, on the Galileo mission home page at http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov [ http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov ]. Background information and educational context for the images can be found at http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/io.cfm [ http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/io.cfm ].
Temperature Map of Pele, Io
PIA02560
Jupiter
Near Infrared Mapping Spectr …
Title Temperature Map of Pele, Io
Original Caption Released with Image Pele, one of Io's best-known volcanoes, was observed by the infrared spectrometer, an instrument onboard NASA's Galileo spacecraft, during the flyby of Jupiter's moon Io on February 22, 2000. The temperature map is shown here on the left in false color, superimposed on a visible color image of the Pele region obtained by the Voyager spacecraft in 1979. The red color represents the hottest lava flows. The purple colors are cooler materials. Preliminary results show that the temperatures of the hottest lava flows are at least 1,400 Kelvin (about 2,000 Fahrenheit), consistent with the temperatures of basaltic lava seen on the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii. It is possible that the eruption temperatures at Pele are even higher, as lava cools quickly once it starts to spread over the surface. The Voyager context image is 200 kilometers (124 miles) across. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., manages the mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. This image and other images and data received from Galileo are posted on the World Wide Web, on the Galileo mission home page athttp://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov [ http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov ]. Background information and educational context for the images can be found at http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/io.cfm [ http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/io.cfm ].
Myriad of Hot Spots on Io
PIA02558
Jupiter
Near Infrared Mapping Spectr …
Title Myriad of Hot Spots on Io
Original Caption Released with Image Changes in the volcanoes on Jupiter's moon Io can be seen in these three views, taken by NASA's Galileo spacecraft during its three flybys of Io in October 1999, November 1999 and February 2000. All the images show the active volcanoes as bright yellow, corresponding to hot lava flows that appear glowing in infrared wavelengths. The three views were taken by the spacecraft's near-infrared mapping spectrometer instrument and show the comparison of a typical low-resolution observation to the high-resolution views. The regional observations taken during the recent Io flybys are superimposed on an image taken during Galileo in 1996. The Prometheus volcano is seen near the middle of all three images. Before the recent flybys, only Prometheus and three other volcanoes were known to be active in this region. After these and other high-resolution observations, scientists were able to detect 14 volcanoes in the same area. The fainter volcanoes (hot spots) show some significant changes over intervals of 1 to 3 months. The area shown by all three observations put together is about 2 million square kilometers (about 770,000 square miles) and covers about 5 percent of Io's surface. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., manages the mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. This image and other images and data received from Galileo are posted on the World Wide Web, on the Galileo mission home page athttp://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov [ http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov ]. Background information and educational context for the images can be found at http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/io.cfm [ http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/io.cfm ].
Europa Impact Crater
PIA02561
Jupiter
Near Infrared Mapping Spectr …
Title Europa Impact Crater
Original Caption Released with Image A newly discovered, city-sized impact crater viewed by NASA's Galileo spacecraft may shed new light on the nature of the enigmatic icy surface of Jupiter's moon Europa. This false-color image reveals the scar of a past major impact of a comet or small asteroid on Europa's surface. The bright, circular feature at center right has a diameter of about 80 kilometers (50 miles), making it comparable in size to the largest cities on Earth. The area within the outer boundary of the continuous bright ring is about 5,000 square kilometers (nearly 2,000 square miles). The diameter of the darker area within the bright ring is about 29 kilometers (18 miles), which is large enough to contain both the city of San Francisco and New York's Manhattan Island, side by side. The brightest reds in this image correspond to surfaces with high proportions of relatively pure water ice, while the blue colors indicate that non-ice materials are also present. The composition of the darker materials is controversial, they may consist of minerals formed by evaporation of salty brines, or they may be rich in sulfuric acid. The bright ring is a blanket of ejecta that consists of icy subsurface material that was blasted out of the crater by the impact, while the darker area in the center may retain some of the materials from the impacting body. Further study may yield new insights about both the nature of the impactor and the surface chemistry of Europa. Europa's surface is a question of great interest at present, since an ocean of liquid water may exist beneath the icy crust, possibly providing an environment suitable for life. Geologic investigations of Europa's surface are underway, and a new spacecraft mission, the Europa Orbiter, is planned. Impact craters with diameters of 20 kilometers (12 miles) and larger are extremely rare on Europa, as of 1999 only 7 such features were known. The rarity of larger impact craters on Europa lends greater significance to the discovery of this one. Impact crater counts are often employed to estimate the ages of the exposed surfaces of planets and satellites, and the small number of craters found on Europa implies that the surface may be quite young in geological terms. Thus the discovery of this feature may provide additional insights into questions about the age and level of geological activity of Europa's surface. Impact craters are expected to form with greater frequency on the "leading" sides of satellites that always turn the same face to their primary planet, in this case, Jupiter. The process is much like the effect of running through a rainstorm. The "apex" of Europa's leading side is located on the equator at 90 degrees West longitude, only about 10 degrees removed from the feature shown. Europa's leading side does not receive a continuous bombardment by ionized particles carried along by Jupiter's rapidly rotating magnetosphere (as is the case for the trailing side), which may allow greater preservation of the chemical, signatures of the impacting object. To the east of the bright ring-like feature are two, or perhaps three, similar but less well-defined quasi-circular features, raising the possibility that this crater is one member of a catena, or chain of craters. This would lend still greater interest to this area as a potential target for focused investigations by later missions such as the Europa Orbiter. The near-infrared mapping spectrometer on board Galileo obtained this image on May 31,1998, during that spacecraft's 15th orbital encounter with Europa. The image data was returned to Earth in several segments during both the 15th and the 16th orbital periods. Merging and processing of the full data set was accomplished in 1999. Analysis and interpretation are ongoing. Galileo has been orbiting Jupiter and its moons since December 1995. Its primary mission ended in December 1997, and after that Galileo successfully completed a two-year extended mission. The spacecraft is in the midst of yet another extended journey called the Galileo Millennium Mission. More information about the Galileo mission is available at:http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov [ http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov ]JPL manages Galileo for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
Sulphur Dioxide on the Chaac …
PIA02559
Jupiter
Near Infrared Mapping Spectr …
Title Sulphur Dioxide on the Chaac Region of Io
Original Caption Released with Image This image shows the Chaac region, on Jupiter's moon Io, viewed by two instruments on NASA's spacecraft Galileo during the flyby on February 22, 2000. On the left is an image taken by Galileo's onboard camera. On the right is a map of the relative abundance of sulphur dioxide obtained from an observation made by the infrared spectrometer, an instrument onboard Galileo. The right map shows that the bright white material inside the small caldera just to the east of Chaac (lower right in the camera image) is filled by sulphur dioxide. This sulphur dioxide is purer than at any other location so far observed on Io. It may represent a frozen layer of sulphur dioxide ice on the floor of the caldera. The width of the image seen on the right map is about 100 kilometers (62 miles). The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., manages the mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. This image and other images and data received from Galileo are posted on the World Wide Web, on the Galileo mission home page athttp://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov [ http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov ]. Background information and educational context for the images can be found at http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/io.cfm [ http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/io.cfm ].
Io's Tvashtar Area in Infrar …
PIA02594
Jupiter
Near Infrared Mapping Spectr …
Title Io's Tvashtar Area in Infrared: Multiple Lava Flows
Original Caption Released with Image New and older lava flows clustered in the Tvashtar region of Jupiter's moon Io appear as hot spots in a temperature map from NASA's Galileo spacecraft. The multiple hot spots indicate continuing shifts in the location of Tvashtar's eruptions since the region's volcanic activity was first seen in December 1999. The temperature map (top) uses infrared observations made during Galileo's Aug. 6, 2001, flyby of Io. It is shown using landmarks from a February 2000 visible-light image (bottom) that Galileo's camera recorded of the Tvashtar area of bowl-like depressions in Io's northern hemisphere. The temperature map comes from Galileo's near-infrared mapping spectrometer. Tvashtar has been a very active region since December 1999, when Galileo detected a major eruption from the location marked A (See insert image below). The eruption from A was interpreted as a row of lava fountains. When Galileo flew by Io again in February 2000, the eruption had shifted to the location marked B, where a lava flow shaped like a dolphin's tail is seen. The temperature map shows that volcanic activity is present at many locations in this region. The highest temperatures are found in the three locations marked x, where new lavas may have recently come to the surface. Temperatures (in Kelvin) displayed in the color bar are lower limits. (The range in Fahrenheit is from 460 degrees below zero to 530 degrees above zero.) Each picture element averages the characteristics of an area about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) across, smaller patches may be hundreds of degrees higher. The Galileo camera did not obtain a visible-light image of the Tvashtar region during the August 2001 flyby. Based on the locations of the hottest materials detected by Galileo's near-infrared mapping spectrometer, volcanologists expect that significant surface changes have occurred.The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Galileo mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. Additional information about the spacecraft and its discoveries is available on the Galileo home page at http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov [ http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov ].
Io's Tvashtar Area in Infrar …
PIA02594
Jupiter
Near Infrared Mapping Spectr …
Title Io's Tvashtar Area in Infrared: Multiple Lava Flows
Original Caption Released with Image New and older lava flows clustered in the Tvashtar region of Jupiter's moon Io appear as hot spots in a temperature map from NASA's Galileo spacecraft. The multiple hot spots indicate continuing shifts in the location of Tvashtar's eruptions since the region's volcanic activity was first seen in December 1999. The temperature map (top) uses infrared observations made during Galileo's Aug. 6, 2001, flyby of Io. It is shown using landmarks from a February 2000 visible-light image (bottom) that Galileo's camera recorded of the Tvashtar area of bowl-like depressions in Io's northern hemisphere. The temperature map comes from Galileo's near-infrared mapping spectrometer. Tvashtar has been a very active region since December 1999, when Galileo detected a major eruption from the location marked A (See insert image below). The eruption from A was interpreted as a row of lava fountains. When Galileo flew by Io again in February 2000, the eruption had shifted to the location marked B, where a lava flow shaped like a dolphin's tail is seen. The temperature map shows that volcanic activity is present at many locations in this region. The highest temperatures are found in the three locations marked x, where new lavas may have recently come to the surface. Temperatures (in Kelvin) displayed in the color bar are lower limits. (The range in Fahrenheit is from 460 degrees below zero to 530 degrees above zero.) Each picture element averages the characteristics of an area about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) across, smaller patches may be hundreds of degrees higher. The Galileo camera did not obtain a visible-light image of the Tvashtar region during the August 2001 flyby. Based on the locations of the hottest materials detected by Galileo's near-infrared mapping spectrometer, volcanologists expect that significant surface changes have occurred.The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Galileo mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. Additional information about the spacecraft and its discoveries is available on the Galileo home page at http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov [ http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov ].
Hot Spots on Io
PIA02591
Jupiter
Near Infrared Mapping Spectr …
Title Hot Spots on Io
Original Caption Released with Image Volcanic hot spots, including a bright one never seen before, pepper an infrared color-coded image (left) of Jupiter's moon Io, taken by NASA's Galileo spacecraft on Aug. 6, 2001. The bright, new hot spot (arrow) in Io's high northern latitudes is the source of a towering volcanic plume detected in new images taken by Galileo's camera. Snowflake-like particles of clumped sulfur-dioxide molecules from the plume were caught by the plasma-science instrument onboard the spacecraft. Beginning about two hours after the spacecraft passed within 194 kilometers (120 miles) of Io's surface, Galileo's near-infrared mapping spectrometer recorded this image of most of the sunlit disc of the large, sizzling moon. The image shows the brightness of features at a wavelength of 4.4 microns, which detects heat from Io's many volcanic eruptions. An earlier image from Galileo's camera showing the same face of Io (right) is included for correlating the heat-sensing infrared data with geological features apparent in visible wavelengths. Many volcanic hot spots appear in the infrared image as bright regions: yellow to red to white, in order of increasing intensity. The brightest hot spot in the northern hemisphere, indicated by the arrow, was so vigorous at the time of the observation that some pixels (shown in black) were saturated. This hot spot was not a previously known volcano. Io has 108 known hot spots, 10 of which were discovered from this observation. Most of the newly discovered ones are too faint to show up in this map, but their thermal signatures can be detected by examining each location's infrared data at more than one wavelength. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Galileo mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. Additional information about Galileo and its discoveries is available on the Galileo mission home page at http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov [ http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov ].
Io's Loki in Infrared: Hot E …
PIA02595
Jupiter
Near Infrared Mapping Spectr …
Title Io's Loki in Infrared: Hot Edge
Original Caption Released with Image High temperatures observed by NASA's Galileo spacecraft along the western edge of the Loki volcano on Jupiter's moon Io may indicate freshly exposed material at the shore of a lava lake. Two temperature maps of the southern portion of Loki show hot (lower right) and hotter (upper right) features based on infrared-wavelength observations during an Oct. 16, 2001, flyby of Io. For context, they are shown beside a visible-wavelength picture (left) of the area taken during an earlier flyby. Loki is the most powerful volcano on Io. It has been active since at least 1979, when it was discovered by NASA's Voyager mission. Loki's dark volcanic crater, called a caldera, surrounds a light-colored island, as seen in the camera image (left). Previous observations by Galileo's instruments have shown that active lavas and still-cooling lava flows cover the floor of the caldera. In contrast, the island is cold and has no volcanic activity except in a narrow dark region that may be a crack or valley. Current volcanic activity appears in the two temperature maps from Galileo's near-infrared mapping spectrometer instrument. The lower right image shows where the surface is glowing at an infrared wavelength of 4.4 microns, with the yellow-orange coding correlated to temperatures of about 360 degrees Kelvin (188 Fahrenheit) and the reddish coding correlated to temperatures of about 430 Kelvin (314 Fahrenheit). The upper right image is at a wavelength of 2.5 microns, with the white streak correlated to temperatures of roughly 840 Kelvin (1,052 Fahrenheit). Each picture element averages the characteristics of an area about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) across, smaller patches may be hundreds of degrees higher. Loki has puzzled scientists trying to determine what type of volcano it is. One idea holds it is an active lava lake with molten material under the crust. A competing view is it is a caldera whose floor is continuously flooded by lavas in successive flows. The concentration of higher temperatures along the western edge in the 2.5 micron map favors the lava lake idea. The cooler crust of molten lava lakes on Earth, such as on Hawaii's Kilauea volcano, tends to drift outward and hit against the caldera wall. This causes the crust next to the wall to break up, exposing hotter material from underneath. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Galileo mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. Additional information about the spacecraft and its discoveries is available on the Galileo home page at http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov [ http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov ].
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