NASA is not done studying Mars, but that doesn’t mean it can’t search for water in other places in our solar system. Water in ice form is very common, especially at the South Pole of the planets, and even on the moons. Natural satellites are also in the equation, as the moons of Jupiter have shown interesting signs of possible water in liquid form coming to the surface soon. On the other hand, it wouldn’t be a place for humanity to call home, but this can lead to more observations in cosmic objects previously that don’t call for that type of attention.
Jupiter is not the focus, but it’s the starting point for a new endeavour
Even though moons are not the focus, NASA continues to study everything it can to have a better understanding of how the elements crucial for our living on Earth are used in the universe. Helium, carbon, and oxygen are among the most abundant elements in the universe, and all of them have an impact on our daily life, for good or bad.
NASA’s Juno mission is focused on getting to know Jupiter better, the biggest planet in our solar system. Its main goal is to figure out how much water it has, looking for signs of hydrogen and oxygen molecules. We already knew its atmosphere is mostly hydrogen and helium, but researchers have also spotted traces of methane and ammonia.
NASA spotted something moving on one of Jupiter’s moons
According to NASA, Jupiter was probably the first planet to form, thanks to all the hydrogen and helium in its atmosphere. It ended up holding most of the gas and dust that didn’t go into making the Sun. Back in 1995, the Galileo probe surprised scientists by showing that Jupiter was warmer than expected, and that it didn’t have as much water as people thought. Meanwhile, its 95 moons — especially Io — have been a huge draw for researchers. Io has some of the strongest volcanic activity in the solar system.
Scientists with NASA’s Juno mission discovered a volcanic hot spot in the southern hemisphere of Io larger than Earth’s Lake Superior, belching out eruptions six times the total energy of all the world’s power plants. The previous record holder was Io’s Loki Patera, a lava lake of about 7,700 square miles (20,000 square kilometers).
How was it discovered?
Juno’s JIRAM (Jovian Infrared Auroral Mapper) spotted the massive hot spot during a flyby on Dec. 27, 2024, when the spacecraft came within about 46,200 miles (74,400 kilometers) of the moon, with the infrared instrument trained on Io’s southern hemisphere. The discovery was announced by Juno’s principal investigator, Scott Bolton, of the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio.
Another NASA Juno team member, Alessandro Mura from the National Institute for Astrophysics in Rome, explained that the detected feature spans an estimated 40,000 square miles (100,000 square kilometers). The data supports that this is the most intense volcanic eruption ever recorded on Io, with a total power value of the hot spot’s radiance measured well above 80 trillion watts. The data also suggests evidence of a subsurface vast magma chamber system, with a few closely spaced hot spots emitting at the same time.
The weakest moon
Jupiter’s moons are divided into two groups: the four Galilean moons (Io, Ganymede, Europa, and Callisto) and smaller, irregular moons. Ganymede is the largest of them, and NASA has been looking into its possible liquid metallic core.
Among these moons, Io is the weakest in some ways, but it’s also the most active. The combined gravity of Jupiter, Europa, and Ganymede stretches and distorts Io, creating friction inside the moon. This constant tugging heats its interior and fuels its volcanic activity. Jupiter itself has been an object of interest for a long time. Back in February, it was one of the seven planets that lined up in a rare cosmic alignment.
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