NASA’s Juno mission is set to make its closest approach yet to Jupiter’s fiery moon Io on July 30.
The spacecraft will come within 13,700 miles of Io and gather data from the Jovian InfraRed Auroral Mapper and other science instruments.
This data is expected to provide vital information on the hundreds of erupting volcanoes that are spewing molten lava and sulfurous gases all over the volcano-covered moon.
Juno’s ability to identify heat sources has proven indispensable in the hunt for active volcanoes on Io.
The spacecraft has been studying the Jovian system since 2016 and will begin the third year of its extended mission on July 31.