Europa is the sixth closest moon to Jupiter and the smallest of the four Galilean satellites that belong to the planet. Illustration shows Europa in the foreground with Jupiter to the right and lo - another of Jupiter's moons - in the middle. The report was compiled by Professor Mike Brown, an astronomer at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, California, and Kevin Hand from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, also in Pasaden. The exchange between the ocean and the surface, Professor Brown said, ‘means that energy might be going into the ocean, which is important in terms of the possibilities for life there. ‘It also means that if you'd like to know what's in the ocean, you can just go to the surface and scrape some off.’ Europa's ocean is thought to cover the moon's whole globe and is about 60 miles deep under a thin ice shell.
It was discovered by Galileo Galilei in January 1610 and is named after a Phoenician noblewoman in Greek mythology who was courted by Zeus and became the Queen of Crete. Europa orbits Jupiter in around three-and-a-half days with an orbital radius of 670,900km. It is slightly smaller than the Earth's moon, but at 3,100km in diameter it is the sixth largest moon and 15th largest object in the entire solar system.
It is likely to have an outer layer of water, some 100km thick.The outer layer of the water is believed to be frozen with a liquid ocean underneath. It is one of the smoothest objects in the solar system with few craters on its surface, which is tectonically active and relatively young. Salty water from the huge liquid ocean beneath Europa's frozen surface makes its way to the moon's surface, scientists believe. The scientists also believe the composition of Europa's ocean may closely resemble the salty ocean of Earth. Europa is considered a premier target in the search for life beyond Earth, Mr Hand said. A NASA-funded study team is working with the scientific community to identify options to explore Europa further. ‘If we've learned anything about life on Earth, it's that where there's liquid water, there's generally life,’ Mr Hand said. ‘And of course our ocean is a nice, salty ocean. Perhaps Europa's salty ocean is also a wonderful place for life.’
It is likely to have an outer layer of water, some 100km thick.The outer layer of the water is believed to be frozen with a liquid ocean underneath. It is one of the smoothest objects in the solar system with few craters on its surface, which is tectonically active and relatively young. Salty water from the huge liquid ocean beneath Europa's frozen surface makes its way to the moon's surface, scientists believe. The scientists also believe the composition of Europa's ocean may closely resemble the salty ocean of Earth. Europa is considered a premier target in the search for life beyond Earth, Mr Hand said. A NASA-funded study team is working with the scientific community to identify options to explore Europa further. ‘If we've learned anything about life on Earth, it's that where there's liquid water, there's generally life,’ Mr Hand said. ‘And of course our ocean is a nice, salty ocean. Perhaps Europa's salty ocean is also a wonderful place for life.’
Underground oceans could be bubbling up to the surface of Jupiter's icy moon Europa, scientists believe - making it the perfect place to look for life. A new paper has detailed the strongest evidence yet that salty water from the huge liquid ocean beneath Europa’s frozen surface actually makes its way to the moon’s surface – reinforcing suggestions that there could be life on Europa.
The research suggests there is a chemical exchange between the ocean and surface, making the ocean a richer chemical environment. Scientists have long debated the composition of Europa’s surface. Now, using the Keck II Telescope on Mauna Kea, Hawaii, Professor Brown and Mr Hand have identified indications of the presence of a magnesium sulphate salt, a mineral called epsomite, that could have formed by oxidation of a mineral likely originating from the ocean below. The researchers started their study by mapping the distribution of pure water ice versus anything else. Then, at low latitudes - the area with the greatest concentration of the non-water ice material - they found a tiny, never-before-detected, change in the results. The two researchers tested everything from sodium chloride to Drano in Mr Hand's laboratory where he tries to simulate the environments found on various icy worlds. At the end of the day, the signature of magnesium sulphate persisted.
The research suggests there is a chemical exchange between the ocean and surface, making the ocean a richer chemical environment. Scientists have long debated the composition of Europa’s surface. Now, using the Keck II Telescope on Mauna Kea, Hawaii, Professor Brown and Mr Hand have identified indications of the presence of a magnesium sulphate salt, a mineral called epsomite, that could have formed by oxidation of a mineral likely originating from the ocean below. The researchers started their study by mapping the distribution of pure water ice versus anything else. Then, at low latitudes - the area with the greatest concentration of the non-water ice material - they found a tiny, never-before-detected, change in the results. The two researchers tested everything from sodium chloride to Drano in Mr Hand's laboratory where he tries to simulate the environments found on various icy worlds. At the end of the day, the signature of magnesium sulphate persisted.
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