【Philippines】

NASA is Philippinescreeping closer to a tortured world.

The space agency's Juno spacecraft has been swooping ever-closer to Jupiter's moon Io, a place teeming with volcanoes and lava. It's a truly volcanic orb. In early March, Juno passed some 32,044 miles from Io. On May 16 Juno returned, traversing just 22,060 miles from Io and capturing rich imagery.

Over the coming year, it's only going to get closer, ultimately traveling within 930 miles, or 1,500 kilometers, from Io. That's darn close. The Hubble telescope orbits around 332 miles above Earth.

---

You May Also Like

---

---

"We're marching closer and closer," Scott Bolton, the Juno mission's principal investigator, told Mashable in March.

SEE ALSO: There are mysterious "super-Earths" all over the galaxy

Take a look at Juno's latest Io imagery, with NASA images expertly processed by citizen scientists and professional image processors.

Mashable Light Speed Want more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories? Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter. By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

Io on left as the volcanic moon orbits Jupiter, on right. Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / SwRI / MSSS / Kevin M. Gill CC BY 3.0 Io as viewed from 22,135 miles (35,623 kilometers) away. Credit: NASA / SwRI / MSSS / Jason Perry CC BY 3.0

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Juno captured these images on its 51st trip around Jupiter. The spacecraft isn't headed towards Io, but is making close, planned passes as it zooms around the nearby gas giant.

For planetary scientists, the images are invaluable.

"Io is the most volcanic celestial body that we know of in our solar system," Bolton said in a statement. "By observing it over time on multiple passes, we can watch how the volcanoes vary — how often they erupt, how bright and hot they are, whether they are linked to a group or solo, and if the shape of the lava flow changes."

---

Related Stories

---

• NASA swooped over ocean world Europa and captured weird, stunning footage
• Who owns the moon's precious water?
• Scientists wonder if a dark, volcanic world could host life
• The best telescopes for gazing at stars and solar eclipses in 2024
• If a scary asteroid will actually strike Earth, here's how you'll know

"We're marching closer and closer."

Io is blanketed in volcanoes because it's stuck in a relentless "tug-of-war" between the massive Jupiter and two of Jupiter's other big moons, Ganymede and Europa — a world that might harbor a sizable ocean. This powerful push and pull creates profound heat inside a world that's a little larger than our moon. All this heat seeks to reach the surface, resulting in molten lava and extreme volcanism.

Want more scienceand tech news delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for Mashable's Light Speed newslettertoday.

By year's end, in late December, the spacecraft will make its closest pass by Io (and again in early 2024). Prepare for some unprecedented imagery.

• Deals
• Games
• Entertainment
• Digital Culture
• Tech
• Shopping
• Science
• Life

• The strangeness of Japan's decision to start openly hunting whales
• Trump tweets about the 'Prince of Whales' and floods the internet with memes
• France vs Denmark livestream: How to watch FIFA World Cup Group D live
• World Cup Qatar 2022 opening ceremony TV and livestreaming options
• I'm a college professor. My advice to young people who feel hooked on tech
• 'Strange World' shows a smart change in Disney's representation of LGBTQ youth
• Amazon orders 8
• The wholesome construction worker influencer was just an ad, because nothing is sacred
• Who is SpaceX's first moon passenger, Yusaku Maezawa?
• Brazen L.A. hawk refuses to leave the hood of a moving car

• Accurate Models of Reality by Sophie Haigney and Olivia Kan
• The Best Books of 2024, According to Friends of the Review: Part One by The Paris Review
• Making a Claim on Language: A Conversation with Adania Shibli by Max Weiss
• On An African Abroad by Toye Oladinni
• Dyson Airstrait deal: $100 off for Best Buy Plus & Total members
• Netflix's 'One Day' review: A magnificent ode to long love
• The NFL isn't smart enough to rig the Super Bowl for Taylor Swift
• 'Moana 2': Lin
• Trump White House reveals it's 'not familiar' with well
• New Poetry: Margaret Ross, Nora Claire Miller, and Richie Hofmann Recommend by The Paris Review

• 8 Years Later: Does the GeForce GTX 580 Still Have Game in 2018?
• Olympian Yusra Mardini and director Sally El
• Twitter users celebrate Trump's birthday by making #JohnMcCainDay trend
• Chill, that terrifying amusement park ride video is fake
• 8 Years Later: Does the GeForce GTX 580 Still Have Game in 2018?
• Tunisia vs Australia livestream: How to watch FIFA World Cup 2022 Group D live
• Elon Musk says there will be three 'verified' Twitter checkmarks: blue, gold, and grey
• Wordle today: Here's the answer, hints for November 25
• The Beatles biopic casts all the internet's boyfriends in one movie
• First date at their house: Red flag or the new normal?

• The Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones are on sale for $100 off
• 'Quordle' today: See each 'Quordle' answer and hints for November 26
• 'Quordle' today: See each 'Quordle' answer and hints for November 25
• France vs. Australia livestream: How to watch live, kickoff time for World Cup Group D match
• Ryzen 5 1600X vs. 1600: Which should you buy?
• Wordle today: Here's the answer, hints for November 26
• People are changing their profile pictures to blue to show solidarity with Sudan
• Wordle today: Here's the answer, hints for November 25
• Get Rid of Windows 10 Ads, Office Offers and Other Annoyances
• Why 'Bluey' is the ultimate kids' show for grownups