Several high-temperature volcanic hot spots have been detected in this region by both the Near Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (NIMS) and the solid state (CCD) imaging system on-board Galileo. The temperatures detected in this part of Io are consistent with active silicate volcanism in lava flows or inside irregular depressions called calderas (lava lakes).

The large dark lava flow in the upper left region of the image is more than 400 km long, similar to ancient flood basalts on Earth and mare lavas on the Moon. North is to the top of the picture and the sun illuminates the surface from the left. These pictures were taken by NASA’s Galileo probe on November 6th, 1996, at a range of 245,719 kilometers.

Here the Galileo spacecraft, mounted on the inertial upper stage (IUS) rises above the airborne support equipment (ASE) as it is brought into position by Atlantis’ Orbiter Vehicle’s payload bay.

Galileo drifts into the blackness of space after being deployed from Atlantis’ payload bay.

Picture of (our) Moon taken by NASA Jet Propulsion Lab’s (JPL) passing spacecraft. The Galileo spacecraft took this picture of the moon on its way to its primary mission which was to explore the planet Jupiter and three of its moons (Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto) . Galileo’s picture provides a view of our Moon’s geography with its many impact basins and areas filled with dark lava rock.