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NASA’s Juno Mission Reveals New Insights into Jupiter’s Atmosphere and Io’s Volcanic Activity

Recent data highlights Jupiter’s polar cyclone dynamics and Io’s subsurface magma flows, with an active eruption set for further observation on May 6.

JunoCam, the visible light imager aboard NASA’s Juno, captured this enhanced-color view of Jupiter’s northern high latitudes from an altitude of about 36,000 miles (58,000 kilometers) above the giant planet’s cloud tops during the spacecraft’s 69th flyby on Jan. 28, 2025. Credit: Image data: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS Image processing: Jackie Branc (CC BY)
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Overview

  • Juno’s instruments have confirmed that about 10% of Io’s surface harbors still-warm magma beneath its cooled crust, offering insights into the moon’s rapid surface renewal.
  • The most energetic volcanic eruption ever recorded on Io, first observed on December 27, 2024, remains active as of March 2, 2025, with more data expected from an upcoming flyby.
  • Radio occultation experiments have revealed that Jupiter’s north polar stratospheric cap is 11°C cooler than its surroundings, with winds exceeding 100 mph.
  • Juno’s observations of Jupiter’s polar cyclones show their movements are influenced by beta drift, causing them to cluster, interact, and oscillate around the pole.
  • The mission’s extended orbit continues to provide unprecedented views of Jupiter’s extreme radiation belts and dynamic planetary system, advancing our understanding of its atmospheric and geologic processes.