Welcome to Io, the most volcanically active world in the solar system! As one of Jupiter's four largest moons, Io is a fiery, sulfur-covered landscape with constant volcanic eruptions that create an ever-changing surface. In this webAR experience, you’ll get to explore Io’s explosive features up close and discover the science behind this scorching moon’s extreme activity.
A screenshot from our webapp allowing for viewing Io in 3D in a web browser, on your phone in AR, or even in VR or MR with the Quest3. (see details below)
Here are some fun facts about Io, one of Jupiter’s most fascinating moons:
1. The Most Volcanically Active Body in the Solar System 🌋
Io takes the crown for having the most volcanoes in the entire solar system! Its surface is dotted with over 400 active volcanoes, some of which can blast plumes of gas and ash up to 300 miles (500 km) into space. Lava flows on Io can stretch for hundreds of miles—talk about a moon with a fiery temper!
2. Tug of War with Jupiter 🪢
Io's intense volcanic activity is due to tidal heating caused by the gravitational tug-of-war between Jupiter and its neighboring moons, Europa and Ganymede. As Io orbits Jupiter, the massive planet’s gravity stretches and squeezes it, causing internal friction and heating—enough to melt rock and create molten lava.
3. Colorful Surface 🎨
Io's surface looks like a cosmic pizza, thanks to its colorful sulfur compounds. The yellows, reds, oranges, and whites are all caused by sulfur and sulfur dioxide that’s spewed from its volcanoes. Its surface literally changes colors with each volcanic eruption.
4. No Water Here! 🚫💧
Unlike its fellow Galilean moons (Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto), Io has almost no water. The intense heat from its volcanoes has vaporized any water it might have had. It’s one of the driest places in the solar system.
5. Super Fast Orbit 🌪️
Io orbits Jupiter in just 1.77 Earth days! That’s less than 2 days to zip around the gas giant. In comparison, Europa takes about 3.5 days, and Ganymede takes over 7 days.
6. Massive Radiation ⚡
Io’s proximity to Jupiter means it’s constantly bombarded by the planet’s intense radiation. A human would only last about a few minutes on Io without proper protection from Jupiter's powerful magnetic field.
7. The Sound of Io 🎶
Spacecraft like Galileo and Voyager have detected eerie radio signals coming from Io. These signals are caused by the interaction of Io’s atmosphere and Jupiter’s magnetic field. If you could hear them, they’d sound like a series of spooky, alien whistles!
8. Io’s Atmosphere is Thin 🌬️
Io’s atmosphere is mostly composed of sulfur dioxide gas, but it’s incredibly thin—about 1 billionth the pressure of Earth's atmosphere. This thin layer is constantly being replenished by volcanic outgassing.
9. Mountains Taller Than Everest 🏔️
Io is home to some towering mountains, many of which are taller than Mount Everest! The highest peak, Boösaule Montes, reaches an impressive 17,500 meters (57,400 feet) in height—over twice as tall as Everest.
10. Electric Currents Between Io and Jupiter ⚡🪐
Io’s movement through Jupiter’s magnetic field generates massive electric currents—up to 3 million amperes! These currents create giant auroras in Jupiter’s atmosphere and send intense radiation toward Io’s surface.
If you'd like to experience a little Io for yourself, be sure to click HERE or the link below to view Io in 3D on the web, on your phone in Augmented Reality, or even on your Quest3 VR headset in mixed reality of your room!
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