Lava lake found on Io that is as ‘smooth as glass’

NASA says it has discovered a lake of lava on the surface of Io. The lake was discovered using data from Juno’s most recent flyby of the volcanic moon. This week, NASA even released an animation of an artist’s concept showing what the lake looks like.

The lake is estimated to be about 200 kilometers long and has a shimmering, glass-like surface. Continued observations of Jupiter’s various moons using Juno have taught us a lot about the Jupiter satellites, including the fact that Europa may not be all that habitable after all. But Juno’s stunning view of Io gave us an in-depth look at the surface of this volcanic world, and it’s definitely impressive to look back on.

“Io is simply littered with volcanoes, and we were able to see some of them in action,” Juno principal investigator Scott Bolton revealed during a press conference at the European Geophysical Union General Assembly in Vienna. Bolton also says the lava lake, which scientists named Loki Patera, appears to have a surface as “smooth as glass.”

This smoothness probably comes from the fact that the lava has cooled exponentially, making it look so smooth and glassy, ​​reflecting the light that the Sun provides to Io. Bolton says the surface of the lake and other surfaces on Io are very similar to obsidian glass, which is formed by volcanic activity here on Earth.

Of course, Juno’s primary goal in observing Io isn’t just to capture stunning views of these spectacular sights. NASA also hopes to learn more about the planet, including whether it contains enough water to support alien life, as the search for alien life in our universe continues without much evidence to support the belief that humans are not the only life. over there.

You can see the lava lake itself in the video above, although it’s important to remember that this is just an artist’s concept based on the data Juno sent back.