They found that Io's thin atmosphere, which is mostly sulfur dioxide gas
vented from volcanoes, collapses and freezes onto the surface when shaded by Jupiter
.
Is Io atmosphere thick or thin?
Io is the innermost of the large moons of Jupiter. It has the most active volcanos in our solar system, and it has
an extremely thin atmosphere
consisting mainly of sulfur dioxide (or SO2, a volcanic gas). For part of each Io day, the little moon is eclipsed by Jupiter. That is, it's in Jupiter's shadow.
What makes up Io atmosphere?
Io also has an extremely thin atmosphere, composed mostly of
sulfur dioxide (SO2)
. This little world's volcanoes regularly spew sulfur dioxide into its atmosphere.
Why is Io so hot yet so small?
So, why is Io so darn hot? The likeliest cause is
tidal forces
– the pulling and tugging of the moon by the gravity of Jupiter. Io orbits at only 421,000 km from Jupiter, making a full orbit in ~1.76 days.
Why is Io so volcanically active?
Io is
heated up by the strong gravitational pulls of Jupiter
on one side and the large moons Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto on the other. This gravitational tugging stretches and bends Io causing it to heat up, much as a ball of clay warms up as you squeeze it repeatedly.
Is there a volcano on Jupiter?
There are volcanoes all around our solar system. But only a few places besides Earth—like some of the moons of Jupiter, Saturn, and Neptune—have
active ones today
.
Can you see Io from Earth?
Io zips around
Jupiter
in 1.8 days, whereas our moon circles Earth every 28 days. … Bottom line: You can see Jupiter's four largest moons – Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto, known as the Galilean satellites – with your own eyes with the help of binoculars or a small telescope.
What is the hottest moon?
Other than the Sun, portions of
Io
offer the hottest surface in the solar system. Several hundred volcanoes dot the surface, and they belch sulfur-rich lava that is hundreds of degrees hotter than the hottest lava on Earth. Io's interior is heated by a tug-of-war between Jupiter and the planet's other big moons.
Why is Io yellow?
Io's colorful appearance is
the result of materials deposited by its extensive volcanism
, including silicates (such as orthopyroxene), sulfur, and sulfur dioxide. … Sulfur is also seen in many places across Io, forming yellow to yellow-green regions.
Why is Io green?
Thanks to
its active volcanic activity and sulfur-rich surface
, Io is one of the most colorful worlds yet seen in the Solar System, save the Earth of course. … Greens and red-browns crop up across Io's mid-latitudes and polar regions, respectively, either from sulfur impurities or radiation damage.
Can we live on Io?
This means Io is a land of both fire and ice.
Io is generally considered a poor candidate for life
because of all the radiation Jupiter blasts it with. In addition, no organic molecules have been detected on its surface, and it has only an extremely thin atmosphere devoid of detectable water vapor.
Where is .Io located?
io is the ccTLD for
the British Indian Ocean Territory
, but recent years have seen it become synonymous with technology, gaming and start-up firms. The main reason for this is that in computer science “IO” is commonly used as an abbreviation for Input/Output. But there are a few other benefits to consider….
Is it hot or cold on the moon?
How cold is the Moon?
There is almost no atmosphere on the Moon
, which means it cannot trap heat or insulate the surface. In full sunshine, temperatures on the Moon reach 127°C, way above boiling point.
How cold is Io?
Temperature: Io's surface temperature averages about
minus 202 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 130 Celsius)
, resulting in the formation of sulfur dioxide snowfields. But Io's volcanoes can reach 3,000 F (1,649 C). Io is often referred to as a celestial body of fire and ice.
Why did we expect Io to show considerable volcanism?
Why did we expect IO to show considerable volcanism?
Io gave off a wake of particles & it was expected to have an internal source of heat due to flexing by tidal forces
. Contrast the volcanoes of IO with those of Earth. … Compare the surfaces of Callisto, IO, and the Earth's Moon.
Is there lava on Io?
Even though Io is roughly 4.5 billion years old, its copious lava production means that
its surface is no more than a couple million years old
, adds Alfred McEwen, a planetary geologist at the University of Arizona. Its volcanoes often take the form of cauldrons depressed into the crust, known as paterae.
