NASA's Juno spacecraft has spotted the most powerful volcanic eruption ever seen on the solar system's most volcanic body, the Jovian moon Io.

The acid yellow moon Io that orbits Jupiter may be less than 30% the size of Earth, but is considered the most volcanic body in our solar system. As demonstrated by explosive news from NASA on Tuesday: Io’s southern hemisphere contains a hotspot of volcanic activity so massive, it is larger than Lake Superior.

NASA’s Juno mission found Io’s biggest volcanic eruption ever. The explosion was stronger than all Earth’s power plants combined.

Since completing its primary science objectives in orbit of Jupiter, Juno has been conducting flybys of the Jovian moons Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. The spacecraft completed two very close flybys in 2023 and 2024,

NASA’s Juno mission has captured the most powerful volcanic eruption ever recorded on Io, Jupiter’s highly active moon. Even by Io’s extreme standards—where more than 400 volcanoes constantly reshape its surface—the latest event stands out as an unparalleled display of cosmic firepower.