Io’s surface: under constuction

iosurface_gal_big.jpg (391 KB)

Explanation: Like the downtown area of your favorite city, the roads you drive to work on, and any self-respecting web site … Io’s surface is constantly under construction. This moon of Jupiter holds the distinction of being the Solar System’s most volcanically active body — its bizarre looking surface continuously formed and reformed by lava flows. Generated using 1996 data from NASA’s Galileo spacecraft, this high resolution composite image is centered on the side of Io that always faces away from Jupiter. It has been enhanced to emphasize Io’s surface brightness and color variations, revealing features as small as 1.5 miles across. The notable absence of impact craters suggests that the entire surface is covered with new volcanic deposits much more rapidly than craters are created. What drives this volcanic powerhouse? A likely energy source is the changing gravitational tides caused by Jupiter and the other Galilean moons as Io orbits the massive gas giant planet. Heating Io’s interior, the pumping tides would generate the sulfurous volcanic activity.

antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html



  • Leave A Comment

    Subscribe
    Notify of
    3 Comments
    Inline Feedbacks
    View all comments
    The Matrix: Rebooted

    “Like the downtown area of your favorite city, the roads you drive to work on, and any self-respecting web site … Io’s surface is constantly under construction.”
    I don’t think NASA has any room to get snarky on that issue. How’s that shuttle replacement coming along?

    Sarcastastic

    Io, the closest you can get to hell? I love Space Odyssey…

    tiki god

    It’s due to be ready about 2 years after all the people that know shit about shit are gone from NASA

    Advertisements Alcohol Animated Images Architecture Art Awesome Things Batman Bikinis Black and White Cars Comic Books Computers Cosplay Cute As Hell Animals Donald Trump Drugs Fantasy - Science Fiction Fashion Food Forum Fodder Gaming Humor Military Motorcycles Movie Posters Movie Reviews Movies Music Music Videos Nature NeSFW Politics Religion Science! Sexy Sports Star Trek Star Wars Technology Television Vertical Wallpaper Wallpaper Weapons Women WTF

    480 x 360 500 x 281 500 x 375 500 x 500 500 x 750 600 x 450 600 x 600 600 x 750 600 x 800 600 x 900 640 x 480 640 x 640 640 x 800 640 x 853 640 x 960 720 x 720 720 x 960 750 x 600 800 x 600 800 x 800 960 x 720 960 x 960 1024 x 683 1024 x 768 1080 x 1080 1080 x 1350 1200 x 630 1200 x 800 1200 x 900 1280 x 720 1280 x 800 1280 x 960 1280 x 1024 1440 x 900 1600 x 900 1600 x 1200 1680 x 1050 1920 x 1080 1920 x 1200 2048 x 1536 2560 x 1440 2560 x 1600 3024 x 4032 3840 x 2160 x

    ABoringDystopia Amoledbackgrounds AnimalsBeingDerps ATBGE awfuleverything Celebhub Celebs CityPorn comicbookart conceptart cosplaygirls Cyberpunk EarthPorn Eyebleach Faces FreckledGirls funny General Uploads gentlemanboners hmmmm Images Sub Space ImaginaryStarships ImaginaryTechnology InfowarriorRides interestingasfuck MarchAgainstNazis marvelstudios MCS Plus memes MilitaryPorn nocontextpics OldSchoolCool pictures PoliticalHumor PrequelMemes PropagandaPosters RetroFuturism sbubby StarshipPorn startrekmemes Storminator Super News Thanks I Hate It UrbanHell wallpaper

  • here's some related content from the store: