NASA’s Juno spacecraft to make closest flyby of Jupiter’s volcanic moon

New Delhi, India

The Juno spacecraft is set to make a historic flyby of Jupiter’s moon Io which is the closest encounter that any mission has had in over two decades.

The fly-past is expected to allow Juno to collect significant data to determine its mysterious activities in space.

“By combining data from this flyby with our previous observations, the Juno science team is studying how Io’s volcanoes vary,” said Juno’s principal investigator, Scott Bolton of the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, Texas. “We are looking for how often they erupt, how bright and hot they are, how the shape of the lava flow changes, and how Io’s activity is connected to the flow of charged particles in Jupiter’s magnetosphere.”

Juno is expected to make its pass on Saturday (Dec 30), coming within roughly 930 miles (1,500 kilometres) from the surface of the Jovian moon, according to NASA. 

The spacecraft has been closely observing Io’s volcanic activity from distances ranging between 6,830 miles (11,000 kilometres) to over 62,100 miles (100,000 kilometres) during its previous encounters in the month of May as well as July.

It has also shared the very first views of the north and south poles of the moons.

The spacecraft has also performed close flybys of Jupiter’s icy moons Ganymede and Europa.

“With our pair of close flybys in December and February, Juno will investigate the source of Io’s massive volcanic activity, whether a magma ocean exists underneath its crust, and the importance of tidal forces from Jupiter, which are relentlessly squeezing this tortured moon,” said Bolton.

The next close flyby of Io is due to take place on Feb 3, 2024, in which Juno is set to appear within about 930 miles (1,500 kilometres) of the surface.

(With inputs from agencies)