12 Questions
What is one of the unique features that Io is known for?
Volcanoes
Which Galilean moon has a surface primarily made of water-ice?
Europa
What is the main factor responsible for Io's colorful surface?
Sulphur compounds
What is the approximate age of Europa's surface based on crater analysis?
Estimated to be 30-180 million years old
Which mission provided insights into Io's volcanic activity and surface composition?
Pioneer 11
What phenomenon is responsible for the aurorae observed on Jupiter's poles?
Io's flux tube striking Jupiter's upper atmosphere
Which moon in the solar system has a composition of water ice with a vast subsurface ocean and an oxygen-containing atmosphere?
Ganymede
What is one reason Ganymede's magnetic field is likely generated?
Generated by tidal heating from its eccentric orbit
Why is Callisto believed to be a potential candidate for human exploration?
Its geological stability and water-ice resources
Which moon orbits Jupiter with an average distance of 1.9 million km and takes 17 Earth days to complete one orbit?
Callisto
What makes Europa a promising candidate for hosting life as we know it?
Presence of a subsurface ocean and geothermal activity
What unique surface features are found on Ganymede?
Dark and light regions with ridges and grooves
Study Notes
- There are four Galilean moons of Jupiter: Io, Europa, Callisto, and Ganymede.
- Io is the innermost moon, known for its unique features like volcanoes, aurora, and a sulphur atmosphere.
- Io is the second smallest Galilean moon, with a high density and composition of silicate rock and iron.
- Io's volcanism originates from a liquid mantle near the crust, leading to hundreds of huge volcanoes on its surface.
- Missions like Pioneer 11, Voyager I and II, and Galileo have provided insights into Io's volcanic activity and surface composition.
- Io's surface is colorful due to sulphur compounds, with plumes seen erupting sulphur and silicate magmas.
- Io's interaction with Jupiter's magnetic field results in a neutral cloud and plasma torus, impacting the size of Jupiter's magnetosphere.- Jupiter's magnetic field lines interact with Io, generating an electric current known as the Io flux tube, which connects Io's atmosphere to Jupiter's upper atmosphere.
- The aurorae on Jupiter's poles are caused by Io's flux tube striking Jupiter's upper atmosphere, as observed by the Juno probe.
- Europa, the second smallest Galilean moon, has a diameter of about 3,000 km and is covered in distinct features such as Lineae and lenticulae.
- Europa's surface is primarily water-ice and has fewer than 50 major craters, indicating a constantly changing surface estimated to be 30-180 million years old.
- Europa's icy surface has an albedo of 0.64, making it very reflective and bombarded by intense radiation from Jupiter.
- Europa's subsurface ocean, potentially in contact with a rocky mantle, makes it a prime candidate for hosting life as we know it due to the presence of water, minerals, and geothermal activity.
- Ganymede, the largest moon in the solar system, has a composition of water ice with a vast subsurface ocean and an oxygen-containing atmosphere.
- Ganymede's magnetic field, discovered in 1996, is likely generated by tidal heating due to its eccentric orbit around Jupiter and its Laplace Resonance with Io and Europa.
- Ganymede's surface features dark and light regions, with ridges and grooves in the lighter areas suggesting past tectonic activity possibly linked to tidal forces.
- Ganymede's magnetosphere has helped confirm the existence of its subsurface oceans and presents mysteries yet to be fully understood.
- The ESA's JUICE spacecraft, launching in 2022, aims to explore Ganymede and other Jovian moons, potentially shedding light on its unique characteristics and magnetic field origin.- Callisto is the second largest of Jupiter's Galilean moons, with a diameter of 58.4 km, about 1/3 the mass of Mercury, and weak gravity.
- It takes 17 Earth days to orbit Jupiter at an average distance of 1.9 million km and is tidally locked to Jupiter.
- Callisto has a thin atmosphere of carbon dioxide and possibly oxygen, but it is so thin that the molecules do not collide.
- The surface of Callisto is ancient, over 4 billion years old, covered in impact craters, making it one of the most heavily cratered objects observed.
- Callisto lacks geological activity like volcanism or tectonics, explaining its preserved surface appearance.
- The unique surface features on Callisto include large impact craters like Asgard and Valhalla, with evidence of fractures in the crust and bright knobs believed to be degraded crater rims.
- Callisto's geological stability, water-ice resources, and lack of extreme terrain make it a potential candidate for human exploration and even as a base for further exploration of the outer solar system.
- Future missions like the European Space Agency's Jupiter Icy Moon Explorer (JUICE) may provide more insights into Callisto's sub-surface ocean, habitability potential, and contribute to further discoveries about the moon.
Learn about the fascinating characteristics of Jupiter's Galilean moons: Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. Explore details about their surfaces, compositions, atmospheres, and potential for hosting life. Discover the exciting missions that have provided insights into these moons and their interactions with Jupiter.
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