Juno's Unprecedented Close Encounter with Io
NASA's Juno spacecraft has completed its closest flyby of Io, Jupiter's volcanic moon, capturing new images of the geologically-active satellite. Io is the solar system's fourth largest moon and has the highest density and strongest gravity of any moon. It is known for its widespread volcanic activity, boasting over 400 volcanoes and lava flows. The images captured by Juno's JunoCam instrument, processed by citizen scientists, are the best we've seen since the Galileo mission ended 20 years ago. Juno will perform two more Io flybys, with the closest approach on February 24th expected to provide the most detailed images yet.