Juno to Make Closest Flyby of Jupiter's Moon IO in 2023
Today, on October 10th, 2023, the Juno spacecraft has made its closest flyby of Jupiter’s moon Io! This marks the fifth flyby of the moon for the spacecraft, with the first being on August 5th, 2016. Scientists are excited to use the data collected from this flyby to gain a better understanding of Io’s composition and its unique volcanic activity. Juno’s flyby today was only 2,200 miles away from the surface of Io, granting researchers the opportunity to collect extremely detailed images of the moon.
This flyby is particularly interesting because it is the first time that Juno has flown by Io since its main engine burn in July 2021. This engine burn was necessary to help the spacecraft adjust its orbit around Jupiter and thus get closer to Io than ever before. Scientists are eager to see what new discoveries this close flyby will bring, and what new information we can learn about the mysterious moon!
source: Phys.org