IO is the fourth largest satellite of the Solar system and the closest to Jupiter galileio the moon.
The planetary community from the USA, France and Spain found that Jupiter periodically freezes and blows away the atmosphere of the moon IO. Devoted to a study published in the journal of Geophysical Research: Planets.
Thin atmosphere of IO consists mainly of sulphur dioxide, and a complete revolution around the gas giant satellite makes for 42 hours. Scientists have shown that, entering the shadow of Jupiter for two hours, sulfur dioxide passes into the solid state and deposited in the form of frost on the surface of the satellite.
When IO emerges from the shadow of a giant planet, a substance under the action of sunlight again into gaseous state. Thus, the researchers note, Jupiter periodically blows and freezes 80% of the atmosphere of the satellite. The temperature of the atmosphere varies in the range from -170 to -150 degrees Celsius.
The planet and the satellite, scientists have observed with the TEXES instrument (Texas Echelon Cross Echelle Spectrograph) Gemini Observatory in Hawaii. IO research was conducted over two nights in November 2013, when Jupiter was at a distance of 675 million kilometers from Earth. Scientists were able to observe IO for about 40 minutes before and after the Eclipse.
IO is the fourth largest satellite of the Solar system and the closest to Jupiter galileio the moon. A celestial body is the most volcanically active known to science so far. The satellite radius approximately 3.5 times less than Earth.
