Analysis of Volcanic Action in Space Finished
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Astronomers using Hawaii’s Keck II telescope have detected the largest volcanic eruption in the solar system on the surface of Io, a Jovian moon.
The eruption took place in February 2001, although analysis of the image was only recently completed. It occurred near an area on Io known as Surt.
“The Surt eruption appears to cover an area of 1,900 square kilometers [733 square miles], which is larger than the city of Los Angeles and even larger than the entire city of London,” said Franck Marchis, a UC Berkeley research associate who co-led the analysis team. “The total amount of energy being released by the eruption is amazingly high.”
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