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Browse All : Near Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (NIMS) from 1995 and December 7, 1995

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Volcanically Active Regions …
PIA00537
Jupiter
Solid-State Imaging
Title Volcanically Active Regions on Io
Original Caption Released with Image Shown here is a portion of one of the highest-resolution images of Io (Latitude: +10 to +60 degrees, Longitude: 180 to 225 degrees) acquired by the Galileo spacecraft, revealing immense lava flows and other volcanic landforms. Several high-temperature volcanic hot spots have been detected in this region by both the Near Infrared Mapping Spectrometer and the imaging system of Galileo. The temperatures are consistent with active silicate volcanism in lava flows or lava lakes (which reside inside irregular depressions called calderas). The large dark lava flow in the upper left region of the image is more than 400 km long, similar to ancient flood basalts on Earth and mare lavas on the Moon. North is to the top of the picture and the sun illuminates the surface from the left. The image covers an area 1230 kilometers wide and the smallest features that can be discerned are 2.5 kilometers in size. This image was taken on November 6th, 1996, at a range of 245,719 kilometers by the Solid State Imaging (CCD) system on the Galileo Spacecraft. Launched in October 1989, Galileo entered orbit around Jupiter on December 7, 1995. The spacecraft's mission is to conduct detailed studies of the giant planet, its largest moons and the Jovian magnetic environment. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA manages the mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, DC. This image and other images and data received from Galileo are posted on the Galileo mission home page on the World Wide Web at 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
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 ].
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