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> Io sweeping across Jupiter

Io sweeping across Jupiter

author: Nasa/Novapix

reference: a-jup02-00002

Image Size 300 DPI: 6 * 6 cm

This image taken by the Hubble space telescope on July 22, 1997 shows in crisp detail Io passing above Jupiter's turbulent clouds. Io, a volcanic moon, is roughly the size of Earth's moon but 2,000 times farther away. Io zips around Jupiter in 1.8 days, whereas the moon circles Earth every 28 days. The conspicuous black spot on Jupiter is Io's shadow and is about the size of the moon itself (2,262 miles or 3,640 kilometers across). This shadow sails across the face of Jupiter at 38,000 mph (17 kilometers per second). The smallest details visible on Io and Jupiter measure 93 miles (150 kilometers) across, or about the size of Connecticut.

Keywords for this photo:

1997 - 1999 - ASTRONOMY - ECLIPSE - GALILEAN SATELLITE - HST - HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE - IO - JOVIAN MOON - JUPITER - PLANET - SATELLITE - SHADOW -