Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
Io (/ ˈ aɪ. oʊ /), or Jupiter I, is the innermost and second-smallest of the four Galilean moons of the planet Jupiter.Slightly larger than Earth's moon, Io is the fourth-largest moon in the Solar System, has the highest density of any moon, the strongest surface gravity of any moon, and the lowest amount of water by atomic ratio of any known astronomical object in the Solar System.
Spectra from Earth-based observations confirmed the presence of an atmosphere at Io, with significant density variations across Io's surface. These measurements suggested that Io's atmosphere was produced by either the sublimation of sulfur dioxide frost, or from the eruption of gases at volcanic vents, or both. [61]
Its surface is dotted with more than 100 mountains, some of which are taller than Earth's Mount Everest. [26] Unlike most satellites in the outer Solar System (which have a thick coating of ice), Io is primarily composed of silicate rock surrounding a molten iron or iron sulfide core. [27]
Parts-per-million chart of the relative mass distribution of the Solar System, each cubelet denoting 2 × 10 24 kg. This article includes a list of the most massive known objects of the Solar System and partial lists of smaller objects by observed mean radius.
The names of regions on Io use a combination of a name derived from locations in Greek mythology associated with the nymph Io or Dante's Inferno, or from the name of a nearby feature on Io's surface and the descriptor term, regio, Latin for region. Coordinate, diameter, and name source below come from the IAU's Solar System Nomenclature Website.
Volcanism on Io, a moon of Jupiter, is represented by the presence of volcanoes, volcanic pits and lava flows on the surface. Io's volcanic activity was discovered in 1979 by Linda Morabito, an imaging scientist working on Voyager 1. [1] Observations of Io by passing spacecraft and Earth-based astronomers have revealed more than 150 active ...
Map of the surface of Io, based on images from the Galileo and Voyager missions. Mountains are widely distributed across the surface of Io . There are about 115 named mountains ; the average length is 157 km (98 mi) and the average height is 6,300 m (20,700 ft).
Surface area. 8.72 × 10 7 km 2 (0.171 ... Its internal ocean potentially contains more water than all of Earth's oceans combined. ... Io, daughter of the River ...