images

A Day on Io - 1/6 - Artwork

by

Ron Miller/Novapix

Reference

a-jup99-00315

Date

2017-01-13

Io keeps the same face toward Jupiter as it orbits the planet. For this reason, Jupiter appears to hang motionless in Io's sky. Just as the Earth's Moon does, Jupiter goes through phases as Io orbits it. Here's a gallery showing the view from a location in the northern hemisphere during the course of a single day.
1. The sun has just come out from behind Jupiter while the thick atmosphere of the planet is illuminated in a glowing ring.