Icy moon of Jupiter. Water on Europa

Nowadays, many American astronomers and planetary scientists involved in the search for life in the solar system believe that life can be detected as soon as possible on Europa, moon of Jupiter, with its vast ocean, than on a deserted Mars.

ICE MOON OF JUPITER

Sometimes in the illustrations for articles about the alleged life under the icy shell of the ocean of Europa, a satellite of Jupiter, you can see our earthly dolphins. Of course, it would be nice to meet such marine animals hundreds of millions of kilometers from Earth, but can such developed creatures live under the ice of a giant planet satellite so far from us?

Perhaps most scientists will now answer this question in the negative, and they will have quite good reasons for this. What life forms do scientists expect to find on Europa?

Europa is one of the four large moons of Jupiter (16 in total). The orbit of the satellite is slightly elongated, so Europe is either approaching Jupiter or moving away from it. Thanks to the influence of the gravity of a huge planet, Europe is experiencing a stretch, then a compression.

Because of this, its bowels are warmed up, which allows, despite the cold at the surface, to maintain a significant amount of water in a liquid state. According to scientists, in the center of Europe there is a solid metal core, which is covered with a layer of rocks.

Next comes the liquid ocean, up to 100 km deep, then the surface crust of ice, 10 to 30 km thick. The average temperature at the surface of the satellite is minus 160 degrees Celsius, so it is not surprising that the thickness of near-surface ice reaches such a significant value.

Due to the vast ocean covered in ice, the surface of Europa is considered the smoothest in the solar system. However, even on this surface there are ridges of ice, convex and concave formations - lenticules (lat - lenticulae - freckles), various stripes and chaotic areas.

These relief features directly indicate that liquid water is present under the ice. For example, the formation of ice ridges is explained by the freezing of ice in the places of faults, through which the liquid ocean “breaks through” to the surface.

Numerous dark lines are striking in the photograph of the surface of Europa. Some of them completely encircle the satellite, their width can reach 20 kilometers. According to scientists, these colored stripes indicate a difference in the chemical composition of ocean water and ice on its surface.

There is also an assumption that the color of the stripes can be caused by the vital activity of microorganisms that live under the ice cover of the satellite.

HERE IS JUST A PARADISE FOR MICROBES!

So, we are talking about the possibility of the existence of life on Europa. What are the prerequisites for this? The sun's ultraviolet radiation and radiation act on surface ice, splitting it into hydrogen and oxygen. If lighter hydrogen is rapidly carried into space, then oxygen remains at the surface of the satellite.

Of course, there is not very much of it, and the atmosphere of Europe is rarefied compared to the earth by about a trillion times. However, oxygen through surface cracks due to the mixing of ice layers may well enter the ocean waters. It is believed that the concentration of oxygen in the ocean of Europe may well be comparable to its concentration in the depths of the oceans of our planet.

It turns out that Europa has liquid water enriched with oxygen, there is heat coming from the bowels of the satellite. It is believed that there may even be active volcanoes at the bottom of the ocean.

Speaking about possible life on Europa, planetary scientist Joseph Berne of Cornell University said the following:

“For a long time, it was believed that at least three conditions were necessary for the existence of life - sunlight, atmosphere and water. Now, having discovered life on the sea floor, where there is no atmosphere and sunlight, but there is a lot of water, we can well discard the first two conditions. Since huge mollusks and tubeworms on our planet could well exist in such conditions, feeding on microbes that swarmed in warm water around underwater volcanoes, then why not assume that something similar could exist on Europe?

Maybe there are no creatures like dolphins or other large creatures in the ocean of Europa, but microorganisms on the satellite of Jupiter most likely exist.

Planetary scientist Thomas Gold is sure of this, he says:

“Microbes are the ones who rule the world. And not only on Earth. Microbes are generally distributed throughout the universe, and God himself ordered them to live in Europe. Such an ocean as there, in the entire solar system, probably no longer be found.

ONLY IMAGINE

After the discovery of an ocean on Europa, so promising for the discovery of life, various projects arose for the further study of this celestial body.

Some have suggested that the lander should drill into its ice shell and take water samples, examining them for the presence of microorganisms. Others even talked about sending a mini-submarine to Europe, which would melt the ice and swim in the depths of its mysterious keana.

Maybe such creatures live under the ice of Europe

NASA even began developing a new project to explore Europe called Clipper, which was estimated at $2 billion. It was assumed that it could be launched by 2021, but in order to save budget funds, the project was frozen.

True, the European Space Agency (ESA) is planning a mission to study Jupiter, it could well be reoriented to the study of Europe, but everything is designed for 2025-2030. This project may also be frozen, the Europeans now have a lot of problems.

It seems that in the coming decades, fantasy lovers can “populate” distant icy Europe not only with microbes, but also with dolphins, and even intelligent underwater humanoids.

> Europe

Europe- the smallest satellite of the Galilean group of Jupiter: table of parameters, detection, research, name with photo, ocean under the surface, atmosphere.

Europa is part of the 4 moons of Jupiter discovered by Galileo Galilei. Each one is unique and has its own interesting features. Europe is in the 6th position in terms of remoteness to the planet and is considered the smallest of the Galilean group. It has an icy surface and possible warm water. It is considered one of the best targets for finding life.

Europa satellite detection and name

In January 1610, Galileo noticed all four satellites with an improved telescope. Then it seemed to him that these bright spots reflect the stars, but then he realized that he was seeing the first moons in a strange world.

The name was given in honor of the Phoenician noblewoman and mistress of Zeus. She was the child of the king of Tyre, and would later become queen of Crete. The name was suggested by Simon Marius, who claimed to have found the moons on his own.

Galileo refused to use this name and simply numbered the satellites with Roman numerals. The Maria proposal was revived only in the 20th century and gained popularity and official status.

The discovery of Almatea in 1892 moved Europe to 3rd place, and the finds of Voyager in 1979 to 6th.

Size, mass and orbit of Europa

In the radius of Jupiter's satellite Europa covers 1560 km (0.245 of the earth), and in terms of mass - 4.7998 x 10 22 kg (0.008 of ours). It is also inferior to the lunar size. The orbital path is almost circular. Due to an eccentricity index of 0.09, the average distance from the planet is 670,900 km, but it can approach 664,862 km and move away 676,938 km.

Like all objects in the Galilean group, it resides in a gravitational block - it is turned on one side. But perhaps the lock is not complete and there is an option for non-synchronous rotation. The asymmetry in the internal mass distribution could lead to the fact that the lunar axial rotation is faster than the orbital one.

It takes 3.55 days to orbit the planet, and the inclination to the ecliptic is 1.791°. There is a 2:1 resonance with Io and a 4:1 resonance with Ganymede. Gravity from two satellites causes fluctuations in Europe. Approaching and moving away from the planet leads to tides.

Thus, you learned which satellite of which planet Europe is.

Tidal bowing due to resonance can lead to heating of the inland ocean and activation of geological processes.

Composition and surface of Europa

The density reaches 3.013 g / cm 3, which means it consists of a rocky part, silicate rock and an iron core. Above the rocky interior is an ice layer (100 km). It may be separated by the outer crust and the lower ocean in a liquid state. If the latter exists, it will be warm, salty with organic molecules.

The surface makes Europa one of the smoothest bodies in the system. It has few mountains and craters because the top layer is young and active. It is believed that the age of the renewed surface is 20-180 million years.

But the equatorial line still got a little and 10-meter ice peaks (penitents) created by the influence of sunlight are noticeable. Large lines extend for 20 km and have scattered dark edges. Most likely, they appeared due to the eruption of warm ice.

There is also an opinion that the ice crust can rotate faster than the inside. This means that the ocean is able to separate the surface from the mantle. Then the ice layer behaves according to the principle of tectonic plates.

Other features include elliptical linticules related to a variety of domes, pits, and spots. The peaks are reminiscent of the old plains. Could have been formed from melt water flowing to the surface, and rough patterns are small fragments of darker material.

During the Voyager flyby in 1979, reddish-brown material was visible covering the faults. The spectrographer says that these areas are rich in salt and are deposited through the evaporation of water.

The albedo of the ice crust is 0.64 (one of the highest among the satellites). The level of surface radiation is 5400 mSv per day, which would kill any living creature. The temperature index drops to -160°C at the equatorial line and -220°C at the poles.

The subsurface ocean on the Europa satellite

Many scientists believe that the ocean is in a liquid state under the ice layer. This is hinted at by many observations and the curvature of the surface. If so, then it extends for 200 m.

But this is a moot point. Some geologists choose the thick ice model, where the ocean has little to no contact with the surface layer. This is most strongly indicated by large-scale lunar craters, the largest of which are surrounded by concentric rings and filled with fresh ice deposits.

The outer ice crust covers 10-30 km. It is believed that the ocean can occupy 3 x 10 18 m 3, which is twice as much as the amount of water on Earth. The presence of the ocean was indicated by Galileo's apparatus, which noted a small magnetic moment induced by the changing part of the planetary magnetic field.

Periodically note the occurrence of water jets, towering 200 km, which is 20 times higher than the earth's Everest. They appear when the satellite is as far from the planet as possible. This is also observed on Enceladus.

Europa satellite atmosphere

In 1995, the Galileo apparatus recorded on Europa a weak atmospheric layer, represented by molecular oxygen with a pressure of 0.1 micro Pascal. Oxygen does not have a biological origin, but is formed due to radiolysis, when UV rays from the planetary magnetosphere hit the icy surface and split water into oxygen and hydrogen.

A review of the surface layer revealed that some of the molecular oxygen created is retained due to mass and gravity. The surface is able to contact the ocean, so oxygen can reach the water and activate biological processes.

A large volume of hydrogen escapes into space, forming a neutral cloud. In it, almost every atom goes through ionization, creating a source for the planetary magnetospheric plasma.

Europa exploration

Pioneer 10 (1973) and Pioneer 11 (1974) were the first to fly. Close-up photographs were delivered by the Voyagers in 1979, where they transmitted an image of the icy surface.

In 1995, the Galileo spacecraft embarked on an 8-year mission to study Jupiter and nearby moons. With the emergence of the possibility of a subsurface ocean, Europa has become an interesting target for study and attracted scientific interest.

Among the mission proposals is Europa Clipper. The device should have a radar that breaks through the ice cover, a short-wave infrared spectrometer, a topographic thermal imager and an ion-neutral mass spectrometer. The main goal is to explore Europe to determine its habitability.

The possibility of launching a lander and a probe is also being considered, which should determine the oceanic extent. Since 2012, the concept of JUICE is being prepared, which will fly over Europe and take the time to study.

Europa satellite habitability

Jupiter's moon Europa has a high potential to search for life. It can exist in the ocean or hydrothermal vents. In 2015, it was announced that sea salt is able to cover geological features, which means that the liquid is in contact with the bottom. All this indicates the presence of oxygen in the water.

All this is possible if the ocean is warm, because at low temperatures, the life we ​​are used to will not survive. High levels of salt will also be deadly. There are hints of the presence of liquid lakes on the surface and an abundance of hydrogen peroxide on the surface.

In 2013, NASA announced the discovery of clay minerals. They could appear due to a comet or asteroid impact.

Europa colonization

Europe is seen as a profitable target for colony and conversion. First of all, it has water. Of course, you will have to drill a lot, but the colonists will get a rich source. The inland ocean will also provide air and rocket fuel.

Rocket strikes and other ways to increase the temperature will help sublimate the ice and form an atmospheric layer. But there are also problems. Jupiter is besieging the moon with a huge amount of radiation from which you can die in a day! Therefore, the colony will have to be placed under the ice cover.

Gravity is low, which means the crew will have to contend with physical weakness in the form of atrophied muscles and broken bones. A special set of exercises is performed on the ISS, but the conditions there will be even more difficult.

It is believed that organisms can live on the satellite. The danger is that the arrival of man will bring terrestrial microbes that will violate the usual conditions for Europe and its "inhabitants".

While we are trying to colonize Mars, Europe will not be forgotten. This satellite is too valuable and has all the necessary conditions for the existence of life. So the probes will one day be followed by humans. Examine the surface map of Jupiter's moon Europa.

Click on the image to enlarge it

Group Amalthea	· · ·
Galilean satellites	· · ·
Group Themisto
Group Himalaya	· · · ·
Group Ananke	· · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·
Group Karma	· · · · · · ·

Europa was discovered by accident. On January 7, 1610, Galileo Galilei pointed a telescope at Jupiter and suddenly saw that the planet was accompanied by 4 small luminous objects. During the following nights, he established that they revolved around the giant. Later, the German astronomer Simon Marius would give them names: Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto.

In the 1960s, the interest of astronomers was primarily directed to the Apollo space program, but scientists from NASA were also studying other areas of the solar system. They found that using the gravity of other planets, you can send the probe much further than if you just launch it from Earth in a straight line. On March 2, 1972, the Pioneer 10 module was launched from Cape Canaveral in Florida and reached Jupiter in November 1973, where it received the first close-up images of Jupiter and its moons.

Following him, the next apparatus was sent - Voyager 1, which reached Jupiter on January 6, 1979. It was he who transmitted the first detailed images of Europe, which attracted the attention of scientists. After carefully looking at the deep cracks covering the planetoid's ice crust, they came to the conclusion that it most of all looks like hydraulic fracturing. Astronomers have observed such gaps in only one place in the solar system - on Earth, where liquid water, once it gets into the thickness of the ice, often leads to a violation of its structure. Based on this, it was concluded that Europa could hide an ocean of liquid water under the ice cover.

Galileo, another traveling probe, confirmed the presence of a thin atmosphere on Europa and helped decipher its composition. In addition, he provided evidence for the existence of a subsurface liquid ocean by providing a map of terrain with pronounced tidal curves. It was probably this discovery, now almost undeniable, that made Europe a target for NASA's future space projects. Most recently, the Juno module reached Jupiter, but its activities will be related only to exploration on the planet itself, without affecting the satellites. But the Europe-Clipper project set as its goal the study of the moon itself and, perhaps, it is precisely its high-precision photographic equipment that will make it possible to say for sure whether water exists on the moon.

Unfortunately, due to the abundance of space projects, NASA is currently faced with the problem of insufficient funding: compared to the $175 million budget allocated in 2016, funding for 2017 amounted to only $49 million. Although these numbers seem huge to us, on the scale of space expeditions they remain very modest. We hope that this will not affect the dynamics of the project in any way, and already in 2020 humanity will receive a clear answer to whether there are planets and planetoids with enough liquid water in the solar system.

Europa, a Galilean moon of Jupiter, is located just after Io. However, it is the second among the Galilean satellites, and among all the known satellites of Jupiter, it has the sixth number in terms of distance from the planet. Like other Galilean satellites, Europe is a unique world, practically unlike any other. Not only that, it is possible that there is life there!

• This satellite is only slightly smaller than the Moon - its diameter is about 3000 km, against the lunar 3400 km. Among the Galilean satellites, Europa is the smallest - Io, Ganymede and Callisto are much larger. In terms of size, Europa ranks 6th among all the satellites of the solar system, however, if you pile up all the other, smaller satellites, then Europe will have a large mass.
• Europe consists of silicate rocks, like, and inside there is a metal core. When rotating in orbit, this satellite of Jupiter, like other large satellites, is always turned to the planet on one side.

• The upper layer of Europa, as scientists suggest, and there is a lot of evidence for this, consists of water. That is, there is a huge ocean of salt water, the composition of which is quite similar to the composition of the earth's sea water. And the surface of this ocean is an ice crust 10-30 km thick - we can observe it.
• There is evidence that the interior of Europa and its crust rotate at different speeds, with the crust slightly faster. This slippage is due to the fact that there is a thick layer of water under the crust, and it is not adhered to the silicate rocks at the bottom of the subglacial ocean.
• There are no craters, mountains, and other landscape details on Europa that we would expect to see here. The surface is almost flat, and Europa is more like a bare, even ball. The only thing that is there are cracks and faults in the ice surface.

Europa surface

If we were on the surface of this moon of Jupiter, then our eye would have almost nothing to catch on. We would see only a solid ice surface, with very rare hills several hundred meters high, and cracks crossing it in different directions. There are only about 30 small craters on the entire surface, and there are areas with debris and ice ridges. But there are also huge, perfectly flat areas of recently flowed and frozen water.

Detailed images of Europe at a short distance have not yet been received, although it is planned to fly around this satellite with the JUICE apparatus at an altitude of up to 500 km, but this will happen only in 2030. Until now, the best images were taken by the Galileo apparatus in 1997, but their resolution is not very good.

Europa has a high albedo - reflectivity, which indicates the comparative youth of the ice. This is not surprising - Jupiter has a powerful tidal effect, due to which the surface cracks and a huge amount of water is poured onto it. Europa is a geologically active body, but it is not possible to notice any changes on it even after decades of observations.

However, being on the surface, we will experience incredible cold - there is about 150-190 degrees below zero. In addition, the satellite is located in Jupiter's radiation belt, and a dose of radiation a million times higher than the earth's will simply kill us.

Subsurface ocean and life on Europa

Although Europe is much smaller than the Earth, and even slightly smaller than the Moon, the ocean under its ice shell is truly huge - it can contain twice as much water as all the earth's oceans! The depth of this subsurface ocean can reach 100 km.

Water ice on the surface is exposed to cosmic radiation and solar ultraviolet radiation. Because of this, water breaks down into hydrogen and oxygen. Hydrogen, as a lighter gas, escapes into space, while oxygen forms a thin and very rarefied atmosphere. Moreover, this oxygen can also penetrate into the water, thanks to cracks and ice mixing, and gradually saturate it. Although this process is slow, but over millions of years, and due to the large surface, the water in the Europa ocean could well be saturated with oxygen to the level of its concentration in terrestrial sea water. The calculations also confirm this.

Moreover, studies also speak in favor of the fact that the concentration of salts in the water is also most likely close to the terrestrial sea water. Its temperature is such that the water does not freeze, that is, it is quite comfortable for living organisms, even by earthly standards.

As a result, we have a curious and paradoxical situation - the possibility of finding life, albeit microscopic, where no one expected to meet it. After all, the conditions in the ocean of Europe should be practically similar to those in the deep-sea places of the earth's oceans, and there is also life there. For example, terrestrial extremophiles feel quite well in such conditions.

Europa may have its own ecosystem, and when trying to study it, there is a risk of disturbing it by introducing terrestrial microorganisms there. Therefore, when the Galileo apparatus completed its mission, it was sent into the atmosphere of Jupiter, where it burned up safely, leaving nothing behind that could accidentally fall on Europa or other satellites.

Future exploration of Jupiter's moon Europa

Due to the possibility of life on Europa, this satellite is far from the last place in the plans of scientists. On the contrary, its study in this regard is on the list of priority tasks. However, everything is not so simple.

There are not only huge distances on the way of researchers - space probes have long learned to overcome them. But the real obstacle is Europa's ice crust, 10 km or more thick. Various options are being developed to overcome it, and there are quite feasible ones.

The next flight to Jupiter will be made by the European device Jupiter Icy Moon Explorer, the launch of which is planned for 2020. He will visit Europa, Ganymede and Callisto. Perhaps he will give a lot of valuable information that will facilitate the penetration into the ocean of Europe in the following expeditions.

Observation of Jupiter's moon Europa

Of course, in the telescopes available to astronomy lovers, it will not work to consider any details on Jupiter's satellites. However, one can observe, for example, the passage of satellites and their shadows across the disk of the planet - this is a rather curious phenomenon.

You can already see all four Galilean satellites with 8-10x binoculars. In a telescope, even a very small one, they can be seen very clearly, of course, in the form of stars. In more powerful telescopes, their hue can be distinguished, for example, Io has a yellowish color due to the abundance of sulfur.

Learn more about this unique moon of Jupiter in the National Geographic film Journey to Europe.

There may be oceans of water under the ice sheet of Jupiter's moon Europa, the only place outside of Earth in the solar system where entire oceans are made up of plain water. These oceans can be up to 50 kilometers deep. Scientists believe that it will be possible to find signs of extraterrestrial life there. The surface of Europa is quite smooth, which distinguishes it from other known planets and satellites. However, it still contains a number of craters and mountains. Europa was discovered by Galileo and Marius in 1610. NASA scheduled the arrival of the Galileo spacecraft to Jupiter in December 1995.

In the photo you see an image of the surface of Europa, made by the Voyager spacecraft. The picture is reminiscent of the ice in the sea on Earth. The criss-crossing dark lines are indeed cracks in the ice surface. This is caused by the action of Jupiter's tidal forces, along with the cooling of the satellite and the expansion of the inner layers containing water. The desire to see the amazing panorama of oceans of water under the frozen crust of the smallest of the Galilean satellites was the main goal of the Galileo mission, which flew to explore the Jupiter system. New images of Europa's surface recently taken by Galileo reveal details suggesting that under the icy crust of Europa, the only satellite or planet in the solar system, there is slush or water in a liquid state.

Although this satellite looks like the Moon in phase, it is not actually the Moon. This is an incomplete Europa, a satellite of Jupiter. The footage for this mosaic was taken by the robotic Galileo spacecraft during its flight around Jupiter in 1995-2003. White ice plains are visible on the surface of the satellite, cracks running beyond the horizon and dark paths, possibly filled with ice and mud. The terminator has hills that cast shadows. Europa is about the size of our Moon. However, Europa's surface is smoother and has mountainous regions and large impact craters. Images from Galileo indicate that ocean waters are likely lapping under the icy surface of this satellite. To test the hypothesis of the possibility of the existence of life in these seas, the European Space Agency began the development of the European Orbiter, which is supposed to fly to Europe. If Europa's icy crust is thin enough, a future mission will drop a hydrosonde that will dig out to the ocean and search for life.

This mosaic of recent Galileo images of Europa's icy surface clearly shows many intersecting cracks in the frozen crust. Light lines stretch across the center of the wide dark rifts, which were also visible in the images obtained by the Voyager spacecraft. It is believed that "dirty geysers" erupt along the breaks in the crust, followed by the sedimentation of dark matter to the surface. Then, in these places, pure water ice appears, which we see in the form of light lines. The picture also shows an impact crater with a diameter of 30 km (lower left), which is surrounded by light matter settled after the ejection. Even lower in the picture you can see the formation in the form of the letter "X" - ice slab faults filled with frozen sludge. Is there now, or was there ever water under the surface of Europa? Recent studies have shown the possibility of the existence of liquid water on Europa, and thus the possibility of the existence of life. Scientists suggest that Europa, Mars and Saturn's moon Titan are places in the solar system outside the Earth where lower life forms can develop.

Why is this giant ice ball dotted with so many cracks? Jupiter's moon Europa has the smoothest surface of any body in the solar system. The satellite consists of water ice and is covered on top with a large number of cracks. What you see is a false-color photo taken by the cameras of the Galileo spacecraft. In the photo, ice plains are painted in blue, separated by dirty red and brown stripes. As the robotic Galileo orbits Jupiter, it sends images of Jupiter and its large moons Europa, Io, Ganymede, and Callisto to Earth. The area on Europa that is shown in the photo is called Minos Linea. The reasons for the presence of such a large number of cracks are still unknown, but may be due to shear stresses caused by gravity and temperature fluctuations. New Galileo photos show that there are indeed oceans beneath the giant ice slabs, places where life could originate.

In the photo you see a structure on the icy surface of Jupiter's moon Europa, similar to a bull's eye. This is the place of collision with a comet or an asteroid. Composite image taken by the Galileo spacecraft camera in April 1997 and presented in false colors. Concentric cracks up to 138 km in diameter are clearly visible, which corresponds to the size of the Hawaiian Island. Thick red and thin green-blue lines over the impact site are younger surface features formed after the impact. The dark red color is due to possibly the presence of a relatively dirty ice mixture. The possibility of liquid water under the icy surface is the subject of debate about the existence of life on this large, distant moon.

The mountain ranges on Europa's surface may have formed due to the activity of volcanoes spewing cold water. This moon of Jupiter is being carefully examined because more and more it is believed that there are oceans under its icy surface. Currently, the Galileo spacecraft flies around Jupiter, which, as part of an extended mission, studies the surface of Europa in great detail. The photo shows a landscape common to the surface of Europa: clear blue water ice under light ridges that stretch for many kilometers. These ridges could have formed as a result of volcanic faults in the ice surface. Water appeared in the faults, which froze in the cold conditions of deep space. The color diversity of Europe's mountain ranges remains a subject of research.

On Jupiter's large moon Europa, there may be water under the frozen ice crust. Discussions on this topic were conducted, because. Recently, amazing images of the surface of Europa were taken by the Galileo spacecraft. The photo was obtained by combining low-resolution color data with high-resolution images taken during three flybys of Europa. The image covers an area of ​​192 x 240 km. A bleak landscape of corrugated linear ridges and crusty slabs that appear to have been broken into pieces and displaced may indicate the presence of water or slush below the surface. Blue shows relatively old ice surface structures, while reddish areas contain material from more recent internal geologic activity. The white areas represent light material ejected from the young impact crater Pvil, located 960 km to the south (to the right). Scientists believe that vast reserves of water may contain organisms that live on this distant moon.

It is entirely possible that on Europa, one of Jupiter's large Galilean moons, there could be an ocean of liquid water beneath the icy surface, which means that there is an exciting possibility of the emergence of life. In this image, built from data taken in 1996 and 1997 by the Galileo spacecraft, domes and dark reddish spots called lenticules, from the Latin word for freckles, are seen along with the creases and cracks characteristic of Europa's surface. Freckles reach a diameter of 10 km; it is assumed that these are blocks of warmer ice from the lower layers, which gradually rise through the cold surface layers, similar to the movements in a lava lamp. If the freckles do contain material from deep layers of ice close to the hidden ocean, then future space missions may need to take samples from relatively accessible freckles instead of drilling through the thick ice sheet to explore the interior of Europa.

Which road to choose? What you see is not a fork in the highways on Earth at all, but a system of mountain ranges and faults on the icy surface of Jupiter's moon Europa. The distance between adjacent longitudinal ridges in this photograph is approximately 1 km. The complex structure of faults and ridges testifies to the turbulent past of Europe, which geologists are trying to understand at least in general terms. A distinctive feature is the ubiquitous presence of a white coating, possibly frost. Another feature is the dark gaps between the ridges. Perhaps this is what frozen water looks like, breaking through the faults from the underground ocean. Recent evidence indicates that Europa has enough carbon to support an underwater biosphere, although Europa's icy crust can be up to three kilometers thick in some places.

There are many unusual formations on the icy surface of Europa. The photo shows part of the southern hemisphere of Europe, photographed by the camera of the Galileo spacecraft. Europa is one of the largest moons of Jupiter. It is believed that beneath the icy surface of Europa are oceans of water. Among the many faults and ridges there are dark mountain peaks running from the lower left to the upper right corner. The origin of these structures is not yet clear. Judging by their shape, large pieces of crust move like tectonic crustal movements on Earth.

Jupiter's moon Europa is so amazing that the Galileo spacecraft that flies around Jupiter will continue its flight to explore Europa. It is believed that under the ice cover of Europa there may be water, i.e. life is possible there. It is planned to make eight close flybys of this satellite. The first close flyby took place at the end of December 1995, and the next one will take place in February 1997. The photo shows an intensified color image of a small region of Konamara on Europa. Areas covered in white and blue are areas covered in icy dust from the impact that created Pwil Crater. The picture shows unconnected ice islands moving to new locations.

This bright band across the surface of Jupiter's icy moon Europa is known as the Agenor Linea. Its length is ~1000 km, and its width is 5 km. Only part of the band is shown in this picture, a montage of color and black-and-white images taken by the Galileo spacecraft. Most line formations on Europa are dark, but Agenor Linea is unique in that it is light for unknown reasons. The origin of the reddish substance along the edges of the band is also unknown. While this and other details on Europa's surface remain mysterious, the overall results of Galileo's research support the suggestion that an ocean of liquid water lies beneath the cracked, frozen crust. The existence of an extraterrestrial liquid ocean offers exciting hope for the possibility of life.

NASA released the latest results from the Galileo probe on December 19, 1997, during its flyby of Europa. Europa is a moon of Jupiter covered with a layer of ice. The picture shows a close-up of the broken and frozen surface of Europa. This is the most detailed image of the satellite. The image, covering 9.4 x 15.8 km, shows the complex surface structure of the region near the satellite's equator. The direction to the north is up, the Sun illuminates the area on the right. The picture was taken from a distance of 3296 km from the surface of Europa. In the upper left corner of the image are linear criss-crossing mountain ranges and gorges, possibly caused by displacements of the ice surface. Winding gorges and knobby structures of unknown origin are also visible. A very small number of craters are observed on the surface, which indicates a geologically young surface. Until now, Galileo's discoveries have supported the hypothesis that there is water under Europa's icy surface.

The surface of Jupiter's moon Europa is moving. The photographs of the surface of Europa that you see were taken by the Galileo spacecraft. They show that the smooth, icy surface of the moon sometimes looks like a giant cipher puzzle. Pieces of Europa's surface are moving to another place. Large areas are also visible, in which it can be seen that the layers are obviously displaced from their original positions. What could cause such a rearrangement on the surface? A possible explanation is water - oceans of water under the ice plains of Europa. This discovery again gave rise to theories about the possible existence of life away from the convenient Earth.

Is there life on Europa? Today, new results have become known that there may be oceans under the crust of Jupiter's moon Europa. The existence of such oceans increases the plausibility that some form of life could exist beneath the fractured icy plains of this smoothest moon of Jupiter. The results of the flyby of the Galileo spacecraft past Europa show that there are large volumes of water or slush under the relatively thin layer of ice covering the surface of the satellite. Only a small number of craters are found on the surface, which suggests that water flooded the surface after the craters formed.

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