Prometheus (volcano)

Prometheus is an active volcano on Jupiter's moon Io. It is located on Io's hemisphere facing away from Jupiter at 1.52° South Latitude, 153.94° West Longitude.cite web | last=Blue | first=Jennifer | date=October 1, 2008 |url=http://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/jsp/FeatureTypesData2.jsp?systemID=5&bodyID=7&typeID=11&system=Jupiter&body=Io&type=Eruptive%20center&sort=AName&show=Fname&show=Lat&show=Long&show=Diam&show=Stat&show=Orig | title=Io Nomenclature: Eruptive center | publisher=USGS | accessdate=2008-10-01 ] Prometheus consists of a convert|28|km-wide volcanic pit named Prometheus Patera and a convert|100|km-long compound lava flow, all surrounded by reddish sulfur and circular, bright sulfur dioxide volcanic plume deposits.cite book |last=Davies |first=A. |title=Volcanism on Io: A Comparison with Earth |year=2007 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=0-521-85003-7 |pages=pp. 208–216 |chapter=Prometheus and Amirani: effusive activity and insulated flows ] The volcano was first observed in images acquired by the "Voyager 1" spacecraft in March 1979.cite journal |title=The Jupiter system through the eyes of Voyager 1 |journal=Science |last=Smith |first=B. A. |coauthors="et al." |pages=951–972 |volume=204 |issue= |date=1979] Later that year, the International Astronomical Union named this feature after an Greek fire god, Prometheus.

Prometheus is the site of a volcanic eruption that seems to have been occurring since the "Voyager 1" encounter in 1979. Between the Voyager encounters and the first observations by "Galileo", a convert|6700|km2 flow field was emplaced.cite journal |title=Active Volcanism on Io as Seen by Galileo SSI |journal=Science |last=McEwen |first=A. S. |coauthors="et al." |pages=181–219 |volume=135 |issue= |date=1998] Later "Galileo" observations of this flow field revealed numerous small breakouts, particularly on the western end of the flow field.cite journal |title=Imaging of volcanic activity on Jupiter's moon Io by Galileo during the Galileo Europa Mission and the Galileo Millennium Mission |journal=J. Geophys. Res. |last=Keszthelyi |first=L. |coauthors="et al." |pages=33025–33052 |volume=106 |issue= |date=2001]

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