What is special about Io moon?
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Io is the only world other than Earth that is observed to have active volcanoes and is the most geologically and volcanically active object in the solar system. Volcanic plumes can rise 300 km (190 miles) above the surface. This was originally discovered by NASA’s Voyager 1 mission in 1979.
Does Io moon have water?
Scientists have found water molecules frozen in the surface ices of Jupiter’s moon Io. “This is the first strong evidence of solid water on the surface of this satellite,” said Dr. Farid Salama, University of California, Berkeley, who led the project at NASA Ames Research Center, Mountain View, Calif.
What is unique about Jupiter’s moon Io?
Jupiter’s rocky moon Io is the most volcanically active world in the solar system, with hundreds of volcanoes, some erupting lava fountains dozens of miles (or kilometers) high.
Why was Io named Io?
Io is named after a maiden who was loved by Zeus. In the Greek myth, Zeus turned her into a heifer in an attempt to hide her from his jealous wife, Hera. Io was discovered by Galileo Galilei and Simon Marius in 1610 and is one of the four Galilean satellites.
What was surprising about Io?
– Io was the first recorded moon after our own moon In fact, it was viewing these moons orbiting another planet through the newly invented telescope that helped disprove Aristotle’s theory that all things orbited the Earth, and so eventually led to a heliocentric, instead of geocentric view of the solar system.
What is a fun fact about Io?
Io fast facts Age: Io is about 4.5 billion years old, about the same age as Jupiter. Distance from Jupiter: Io is the fifth moon from Jupiter. Its average orbital distance is about 262,000 miles (422,000 km). Io takes 1.77 Earth-days to orbit Jupiter.
How many volcanoes are on Io?
Bottom line: Io is the most volcanically active body in the solar system, with over 400 volcanoes discovered so far and about 150 erupting at any given time.
Where does Io get its energy?
The forced eccentricity causes intense tidal heating of Io—heating from internal friction due to continual flexing of the satellite—by Jupiter’s powerful gravitational field, which is the source of energy that powers the volcanoes.
What are 3 interesting facts about Io?
Below are some more interesting facts about Io:
- – Io may not have been discovered by Galileo.
- – Io was the first recorded moon after our own moon.
- – Io is named after yet another nymph.
- – Io is an electrical generator.
- – Radiation on Io can kill an unprotected human in a day or so.
- – Io has more than 400 active volcanoes.
Who discovered volcanoes on Io?
scientist Linda Morabito
Its volcanic activity was discovered in 1979 by Voyager 1 imaging scientist Linda Morabito. Observations of Io by passing spacecraft (the Voyagers, Galileo, Cassini, and New Horizons) and Earth-based astronomers have revealed more than 150 active volcanoes.
How long is a year on Io?
42 hoursIo / Orbital period
What are some interesting facts about the moon Io?
Facts about Io. Io has more than 400 active volcanoes on its surface. They make this little moon the most actively volcanic world in the solar system. The volcanism on Io is due to tidal heating, as the moon is stretched by Jupiter’s strong gravitational pull and by the lesser gravitational effects of the other satellites.
What is the significance of the discovery of the Galilean moons?
The discovery, along with three other Jovian moons, was the first time a moon was discovered orbiting a planet other than Earth. The discovery of the four Galilean satellites eventually led to the understanding that planets in our solar system orbit the Sun, instead of our solar system revolving around Earth.
Which is the second smallest of the four Galilean moons?
Io is the innermost and the second smallest of the four Galilean moons. It was discovered, along with Europa, Ganymede and Callisto by Galileo Galilei in 1610.
What did Galileo name the moons of Jupiter?
Galileo originally called Jupiter’s moons the Medicean planets, after the powerful Italian Medici family and referred to the individual moons numerically as I, II, III, and IV. Galileo’s naming system would be used for a couple of centuries.