The image was captured by the Juno spacecraft

Next December 30, 2023, NASA's Juno spacecraft flies very close to the volcanic moon IoIt is the closest Galilean satellite to Jupiter.

The expected results after this excellent operation are intended to allow the development of Juno instruments A huge amount of data.

(You can also read: Europe regains autonomy in space with Ariane 6 and Hera mission in 2024).

The spacecraft will reach a distance of about 1,500 kilometers from the surface of the most volcanic planet in the Solar System. As mentioned, never before This type of spacecraft has come closest to the Sun in more than 20 years.

Juno principal investigator Scott Bolton of the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio (Texas) reported in a statement on the NasaNet press portal: “By combining data from this flyby with our previous observations, the Juno science team is studying how Io's volcanoes vary.”

Additionally, Bolton added: “We look at how often they erupt, how bright and hot they are, how the shape of the lava flow changes and how the activity is related to the flow of charged particles in Jupiter's magnetosphere.“.

(You may also read: NASA To Study Asteroid 'God Of Chaos' As It Passes Closest To Earth).

Will there be more flyovers?

On February 3, 2024, in what will actually be a second flyby, Juno will again come within 1,500 kilometers of the surface.

The spacecraft carrying out this mission is responsible for monitoring Io's volcanic activity from approximately 11,000 kilometers and 100,000 kilometers away.

In addition to the above, The first views of the Moon's north and south poles are provided.

“The spacecraft has made close flybys of the icy moons of Jupiter, Ganymede and Europa,” according to the aforementioned journal's report.

“Through our pair of close flybys in December and February, Juno will investigate evidence of Io's massive volcanic activity, the existence of a magma ocean beneath its crust and the importance of Jupiter's tidal forces relentlessly squeezing this tortured moon,” Bolton said. .

(You may also read: NASA Reveals Discovery of Earth-Similar Planet).

In April 2024, the spacecraft is expected to conduct some paranormal experiments using the Gravity Science Juno Experiment, which aims to study the composition of Jupiter's upper atmosphere.

The above will provide important information about Jupiter's shape and interior structure.

Thanks to the three cameras on board Juno, the Jovian Infrared Aurora Mapper (JIRAM), which takes images in the infrared, Collects heat signatures emitted by the volcanoes and calderas that cover the Moon's surface.

“The cumulative effects of that radiation over the last few orbits are starting to show up in Junocom,” said Ed Hirst, Juno program manager at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California.

He added: “Images from a recent flyby show a reduction in the camera's dynamic range and the appearance of 'streaky' noise. “Our engineering team is working on solutions to mitigate radiation damage and keep the imager operational.”

(You can also read: Nostradamus' prediction for 2024 about NASA on Mars: 'Failure in light').

After months of evaluation and study, the Juno team and researchers are tasked with fine-tuning the trajectory and future planning of Io's seven new distant flybys. This is called an extended work plan.

After the close pass event on February 3, the spacecraft will fly into an alternate orbit around Io and “Each orbit becomes progressively more distant: the first is about 16,500 kilometers above IoAnd the last one will be about 115,000 kilometers away.

Lady Daniela Ortiz Kongora

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