NASA’s Juno spacecraft has detected a significant volcanic hot spot on Io, Jupiter’s moon. The feature, located in Io’s southern hemisphere, is larger than Earth’s Lake Superior, highlighting the moon’s extreme geological activity.
The volcanic site emits around 80 trillion watts of energy—six times the total output of all Earth’s power plants. Juno’s Jovian Infrared Auroral Mapper (JIRAM) instrument was crucial in detecting this extreme thermal activity.
Io is already known as one of the most volcanically active bodies in the solar system. The recent findings further confirm the extent of its geological activity, with continuous eruptions shaping its surface.
Juno, originally launched in 2011 and orbiting Jupiter since 2016, conducted two close flybys of Io. The collected data provided new insights into the moon’s volcanic processes, exceeding initial expectations.
Data from the latest flyby revealed what scientists describe as the most powerful volcanic event ever recorded on Io. The eruption’s intensity surpassed previous observations, marking a significant discovery.
The extreme infrared radiance detected by JIRAM was so intense that it overwhelmed the instrument’s detectors. This confirmed the eruption’s unprecedented scale, according to Juno co-investigator Alessandro Mura.
Juno remains in its extended mission phase, continuing to study Jupiter and its moons. The probe is expected to operate until September 2025 or until it reaches the end of its operational life, as confirmed by NASA.