NASA unveiled today the closest, most detailed image ever taken of the volatile moon Io, Jupiter's nearest satellite. The image, taken by the Galileo spacecraft July 3, reveal a tortured world of volcanoes, lava and sulfur deposits, fissures, and possibly even frost. In the true-color image, the jaundiced surface is a mottling of black, brown, green, orange and red areas, thought to be diffuse deposits, outflows from within the fiery moon. The enhanced false color attempts to bring out more contrast and surface detail.

At the time, Galileo was 81,000 miles (130,000 km) from the moon's surface.

Features as small as 0.8-mile (1.3 km) can be seen.

The spacecraft will make two even closer flybys of Io in October and November. Images taken then are expected to show even greater detail.

Galileo has been orbiting Jupiter since December 1995. Although its primary mission ended in December 1997, the spacecraft has been given a two-year extension to explore the planet and its moons.