Astronomy Picture of the Day

A Jupiter-Io Montage from New Horizons


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#105277 by @ 09.01.2008 00:00 - nach oben -
A Jupiter-Io Montage from New Horizons


Explanation:

As the New Horizons spacecraft sweeps through the Solar System,
it is taking breathtaking images of the planets.

In February of last year,
New Horizons
passed Jupiter and the ever-active Jovian moon
Io.

In this
montage
, Jupiter was captured in three bands of
infrared light making
the Great Red Spot look white.

Complex
hurricane-like ovals, swirls, and
planet-ringing bands are visible in
Jupiter's complex atmosphere.

Io is
digitally
superposed in natural color.

Fortuitously, a plume was emanating from
Io's volcano
Tvashtar.

Frost and sulfuric lava cover the volcanic moon, while
red-glowing lava
is visible beneath the
blue sunlight-scattering plume.

The robotic
New Horizons spacecraft
is on track to arrive at
Pluto in 2015.


Note:
Meet sky enthusiasts, astro bloggers, and APOD editor RN in Austin tonight.


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