| This
image was acquired while Io was in eclipse (in Jupiter's shadow) during
Galileo's eighth orbit, and reveals several dynamic processes. The most
intense features are red, while glows of lesser intensity are yellow or
green, and very faint glows appear blue in this colour-coded image. The
small red or yellow spots mark the sites of high-temperature magma erupting
onto the surface in lava flows or lava lakes. |
 |
This
image reveals a field of bright spots near Io's sub- Jupiter point (right-hand
side of image). The sub-Jupiter hemisphere always faces Jupiter just as
the Moon's near side always faces Earth. There are extended diffuse glows
on the equatorial limbs or edges of the planet (right and left sides). The
glow on the left is over the active volcanic plume Prometheus, but whereas
Prometheus appears to be 75 kilometers high in reflected light, here the
diffuse glow extends about 800 kilometers from Io's limb. This extended
glow indicates that gas or small particles reach much greater heights than
the dense inner plume. The diffuse glow on the right side reaches a height
of 400 kilometers, and includes a prominence with a plume-like shape. However,
no volcanic plume has been seen at this location in reflected light. This
type of observation is revealing the relationships between Io's volcanism,
atmosphere and exosphere. |
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