Jupiter Might Have Many Times More Water Than Found on Earth

 

Jupiter Might Have Many Times More Water Than Found on Earth

 

Europa, Jupiter’s icy moon, has long taunted scientists with its signs of a subsurface ocean of water and perplexing cracks on the surface. The spectacular image shown here is the best view yet of the icy Jovian moon.

 

 

 

Released in November 2014, this Europa photo is a remastered image based on data from NASA’s Galileo mission to Jupiter in the 1990s. Read the Full Story.

See stunning images of Europa from NASA spacecraft here.

Natural Color Image of Europa

Inside Jupiter’s Watery Moon, Europa (Infographic)

Scientists are eager to learn if Europa’s huge subsurface ocean harbors alien life. See how Jupiter’s icy moon Europa works in this SPACE.com infographic.v


NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

The icy moon Europa rising above Jupiter’s cloud tops. The picture was one of a handful of the Jupiter system that New Horizons took primarily for artistic, rather than scientific, value.

Europa South Polar Water Plume

A south polar water vapor plume on Europa is shown in blue in this Hubble Space Telescope data image, which is superimposed on a visible light image of the Jupiter moon’s leading hemisphere. Image released Dec. 12, 2013.

Jupiter and Europa with Water Vapor Plumes

This image shows Jupiter and its icy moon Europa, with the moon’s bright ultraviolet light signal from south polar water vapor plumes shown in blue. Image released Dec. 12, 2013.

Europa Cross-Sectional Illustration

Jupiter’s moon Europa contains an ocean of liquid water beneath its frozen surface.

Water Plume on Europa: Leading Hemisphere

This Hubble Space Telescope data image shows the water vapor plume (blue) over the leading hemisphere of Europa superimposed on a visible light image of the icy Jupiter moon. Image released Dec. 12, 2013

Scientists believe conditions may be right for life, under Europa’s icy crust. See what it might be like for an astronaut exploring Europa.