The pictures of the icy moon of Jupiter, Europa, were captured by NASA’s probe, Juno, during a flyby showing how stunning the moon is and also revealing that the moon could possibly harbor extraterrestrial life.
Europa
Europa is named after a woman who was kidnapped by the god Zeus in Greek mythology (Jupiter in Roman mythology).
The ice shell of Europa, according to scientists, is between 10 and 15 miles (25 and 60 kilometers) thick and floats atop an ocean between 40 and 100 miles (60 and 150 kilometers) deep. Therefore, even though Europa has a diameter that is only one-fourth that of Earth, its ocean may hold twice as much water as Earth’s seas do.
Potential for Life
Liquid water, the proper chemical ingredients, and an energy source appear to be the three fundamental prerequisites for life as we know it.
Astrobiologists, or those who research the origin, evolution, and future of life in the universe, think Europa has enough of water and the necessary chemical ingredients, but it has been challenging to identify the planet’s energy source.
New Images Of Europa
Two of the photos, one with minimum processing and the other with heightened color contrast that helps the surface details stand out, compare two distinct processing methods applied to the same area of Europa’s surface. The jumble of scars’ shadows can be seen in the more-processed image.
