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Updated: Jul 11, 2026
06:27
Measurement of Aerosols Optical Thickness of the Atmosphere using the GLOBE Handheld Sun Photometer
Published on: May 29, 2019
Eclipse Measurements of Io's Sodium Atmosphere.
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|October 2, 1987
Summary
Jupiter
Area of Science:
- Planetary Science
- Atmospheric Science
- Astrobiology
Background:
- Jupiter's moon Io possesses an extended atmosphere.
- The composition and density of Io's atmosphere are not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To measure the sodium abundance in Io's atmosphere.
- To investigate the atmospheric density and dynamics of Io.
Main Methods:
- Utilized Jupiter's moon Europa as a mirror to observe the Sun through Io's atmosphere during a 1985 Jovian satellite eclipse.
- Measured column abundances of sodium.
Main Results:
- Io's atmosphere is collisionally thin above 700 km and potentially to the surface.
- The sodium profile suggests a 1500 K exosphere with a surface density of ~2 x 10^4 atoms/cm³.
- Calculated atmospheric loss rates indicate replacement on an hourly timescale.
Conclusions:
- Io's sodium atmosphere is likely maintained by a nonthermal process.
- The atmosphere's thin nature and rapid replacement necessitate complex atmospheric models.
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