As the old saying goes: "Girls go to college to get more knowledge, boys go to Jupiter to get more stupider". This has rang true for eons, but the University of Arizona may have found a way to combine the two.

Jupiter
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Earlier this year, researchers at the University of Arizona made history with the clearest images of Jupiter's moons ever taken from earth.

How Did They Capture the Images?

Capturing a photo of Io from the Earth's surface is about the same as photographing a dime from 100 miles away, so this was no easy task, even for the astronomically inclined U of A.

Io with an arrow pointing to the distance
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The team used the Large Binocular Telescope, a piece of equipment stationed atop Mt. Graham. The telescope is the first of its kind, able to compensate for atmospheric turbulence with the newly created SHARK-VI system, resulting in clearer images than almost every other earth-based telescope. Two mirrors flank the telescope, measuring 27-feet apiece.

Read More: What is NASA Doing in Arizona?

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What Was Found?

When Io was finally put in the telescope's sights, the researchers found that they had captured some of the best images of Io ever taken, beating out even NASA's spacecraft orbiting Jupiter.

The image below is what was captured, the clearest image of Io ever taken by an earth-based telescope.

UofA's photo of Io
Credit: University of Arizona
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The team began to monitor volcanic activity on the moon's surface. While there was no way to clearly see the eruptions take place on the surface, the team could infer based on heat signatures, and track volcanic progress the old fashioned way.

The University is working in conjunction with NASA's 'Juno' spacecraft currently orbiting Jupiter to fill in the gaps of their own research, and hopefully come to a better understanding of one of our Solar System's most mysterious moons.

[University of Arizona]

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