29 May 2017

PSI Senior Scientist Jeff Morgenthaler set up a new observatory near Tucson to use changes in volcanic activity on Io to measure properties of Jupiter’s magnetosphere. A major goal of the project is to learn why ionized material from Io sticks close to Jupiter, rather than being flung out by Jupiter’s rapid rotation.

The Io Input/Output observatory (IoIO) uses a very bright emission line of neutral sodium to monitor material leaving Io and entering Jupiter’s magnetosphere. A bright emission line of ionized sulfur is used to monitor material in Jupiter’s magnetosphere. The bright, extended nature of these emissions make them easily accessible to small-aperture telescopes developed for the high-end amateur astronomy market.

[Image]
(A) Jeff Morgenthaler poses with the telescope in its new home.
(B) The telescope is set up to be operated remotely
(C).The Southern Arizona site where the IoIO observatory is located.