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The Planetary Report • March/April 2002

Io's "Hot Spots"

Io's "Hot Spots"

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On the Cover: This Galileo mosaic may resemble an abstract painting but is actually a high-resolution image of the longest known active lava flow in the solar system. Found in the Amirani region of Jupiter’s moon Io, this flow extends roughly 350 kilometers (220 miles). Approximately half the length of the flow is shown here. Dark areas indicate recent, fresh lava; these areas are too hot to be covered by sulfur dioxide, which appears lighter. Scientists think the main Amirani plume emanates from the fuzzy purplish area near the bottom of the image.

Features

4 Mars Odyssey: Let the Mapping Being: Bruce Betts shares a preliminary look at the infrared data from this mission with our readers.

6 The Rampant Volcanoes of Io: Rosaly Lopes recounts many discoveries about the most volcanically active body in our solar system.

12 Deep Space 1: The New Millennium in Spaceflight: Robert Burnham discusses the accomplishments, problems, and lessons this experimental spacecraft has taught us.

19 Cosmos 1 Update: Schedule Slips, Confidence Grows: Louis Friedman has both good and bad news to report on the Society's solar sail project.

Departments

3 Members' Dialogue Our future in space; NASA funding restored

18 World Watch NASA budget is up, but balanced out by canceled missions.

20 Q&A Questions abound about the strange acceleration of Pioneer 10 and 11

22 Society News Optical SETI telescope installed; Society events in Pasadena and the Republic of San Marino

Io's "Hot Spots"

The Planetary Report • March/April 2002

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