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5 August 2019
New study traces Io’s volcanic tides
Hundreds of volcanoes pockmark the surface of Io, the third largest of Jupiter’s 78 known moons, and the only body in our solar system other than Earth where widespread volcanism can be observed. A new study finds Io’s most powerful, persistent volcano, Loki Patera, brightens on a similar timescale to slight perturbations in Io’s orbit caused by Jupiter’s other moons, which repeat on an approximately 500-Earth-day cycle.
20 February 2018
Found: “Footprint” of Jupiter’s moon Callisto
The elusive “footprint” of Jupiter’s moon Callisto has been spotted for the first time near the south pole of the giant planet, according to a new study.
18 December 2017
NASA Solves How a Jupiter Jet Stream Shifts into Reverse
Speeding through the atmosphere high above Jupiter’s equator is an east–west jet stream that reverses course on a schedule almost as predictable as a Tokyo train’s. Now, a NASA-led team has identified which type of wave forces this jet to change direction.
5 July 2016
Odd behavior of Jovian moon dust could inform future space missions, search for life
New research into the movements of dust around Jupiter’s four largest moons could help scientists searching for life in our solar system, according to a new study. This moon dust around Jupiter could give scientists clues about the composition of the surface of its satellites.
6 December 2011
On a mission to get under Europa’s skin
Europa is covered with a cracked and jumbled shell of ice, suggesting the Jovian moon harbors liquid water—and the potential for life. But most knowledge of Europa comes from the Galileo mission to Jupiter, which ended in 2003.
26 April 2011
Planetary Origins and Evolution: An Interview with David Stevenson
David Stevenson is the George Van Osdol Professor of Planetary Science at the California Institute of Technology. He researches internal structure and evolution of both major and terrestrial planets, application of fluid dynamics and magnetohydrodynamics [dynamicsof electrically conducting fluids] to planetary interiors, and the origin of the solar system. GeoSpace recently caught up with him to discuss his early career, his thoughts on the best way to send a probe to the Earth’s core, and his involvement with the upcoming Juno mission to Jupiter, among other topics.
16 December 2010
Strange landscapes of the outer giants’ moons
Kansas might be flatter than a pancake, but some of the moons circling Jupiter and Saturn are not. The relatively tiny, icy, rocky moons of the outer solar system host a gigantic array of interesting surface features. Some are more exotic, like the measured, undulating ridges on Ganymede and the cratered ruins blanketing Callisto, both moons of Jupiter. And some make the leap to the truly bizarre: enormous mountains encircling the equator of Saturn’s Iapetus, the likes of which have not been observed elsewhere.
GeoSpace is a blog on Earth and space science, managed by AGU’s Public Information staff. The blog features posts by AGU writers and guest contributors on all sorts of relevant science topics, but with a focus on new research and geo and space sciences-related stories that are currently in the news.