Discovery of the Solar System’s most powerful energy source

NASA’s Juno mission to Jupiter’s moon Io has provided incredible data. A recent flyby revealed the most powerful volcanic event ever recorded on Io, the most volcanic world in our solar system.

Juno’s recent flyby discovered a massive volcanic hot spot in Io’s southern hemisphere, larger than Earth’s Lake Superior. It erupts with six times the energy output of all the world’s power plants. The discovery was made using Juno’s Jovian Infrared Auroral Mapper (JIRAM).

Io’s intense volcanic activity is caused by Jupiter. Io, about the size of Earth’s Moon, orbits close to Jupiter. Its changing distance from Jupiter causes varying gravitational pulls, squeezing Io and generating immense energy through frictional heating. This results in around 400 volcanoes on Io’s surface.

The JIRAM instrument on Juno is designed to detect infrared light deep inside Jupiter, allowing scientists to study its weather layer. Juno’s mission extension also uses JIRAM to study Jupiter’s moons: Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto.

Jupiter’s Moon Io has wonderful dunes, created by lava flows

During the latest flyby on December 27, 2024, JIRAM detected a massive hot spot in Io’s southern hemisphere, suggesting a subsurface vast magma chamber system. This is believed to be the most intense volcanic eruption ever recorded on Io.

The new hot spot spans 40,000 square miles (100,000 square kilometers), significantly larger than Loki Patera, the previous record holder. Its radiance measured above 80 trillion watts.

JunoCam also captured images showing changes in surface color around the hot spot, which is associated with volcanic activity on Io.

The recent massive eruption on Io is expected to leave lasting marks, similar to past events that resulted in features like pyroclastic deposits and small lava flows.

Juno plans another flyby of Io on March 3 to observe the hot spot again. Earth-based observations may also provide additional insights. This new hot spot could enhance our understanding of volcanism on Io and other celestial bodies.