This is an image of Io.
Click on image for full size
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Io's Atmosphere
There are no clouds and lightning. The atmosphere of Io is very thin and does not remain gravitationally bound to Io for very long. Even so, it has an important impact on the Jupiter system.
Io's atmosphere comes from its volcanoes, then disperses because, as a small moon, Io is not massive enough to have substantial gravity. Portions of the atmosphere may also come from other processes which cause molecules to be extracted from the surface.
Because the atmosphere comes from it's volcanos, the air of Io is made primarily of sulphur.
Once the particles from the atmosphere get into the magnetosphere, they create a donut-shaped cloud of material around Io.
The Galileo spacecraft, in exploring the moons of Jupiter will try to learn more about the atmosphere of Io.
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