Exploratour - The Surface of Europa

This is an image of Europa.
Click on image for full size
NASA

Jupiter image archive

Exploratour: Does Europa have an Ocean?

Exploratour: NASA's Exploration for Life

Now scientists are using as many close ups shots as possible to determine more about 1) if there is an ocean, 2) how thick the ocean might be, 3) how rigid the ice is, and other details about the surface. For example, they use images like this, the angle of the sun, and the length of the shadow, among other things, to figure out the height of features which have been seen. In different colors, certain features are exaggerated. This helps scientists learn more about what the surface is made of and how well packed it is. It may take scientists many years to get it all figured out.

More images like this one may be found in the Jupiter image archive, linked at the bottom of this page.

Scientists are excited about the possibility of an ocean. If the crust of Europa is not too thick, light from the sun will likely shine through this layer into the ocean beneath. On Earth, we know that there are life forms which can exist under conditions such as these. With this in mind, NASA has set a priority to send another mission to explore Europa further. Read more about this mission in the Exploratour: NASA's Exploration for Life, linked at the bottom of this page.

This is page 20 of 20

You might also be interested in:

Traveling Nitrogen Classroom Activity Kit

Check out our online store - minerals, fossils, books, activities, jewelry, and household items!...more

ExploraTour - Looking at the World in a Different Light

Even though the sleeping man is no longer on the bed, you can still see where he was lying down. The heat from his body warmed up the bed sheets which are now radiating infrared light toward your eyes....more

ExploraTour - Looking at the World in a Different Light

All warm objects radiate in the infrared. The warmer the object, the higher the frequency and intensity of the radiation. Very hot objects give off other types of radiation in addition to infrared. Click...more

ExploraTour - Looking at the World in a Different Light

Your eye is a wonderful detector of visible light. Different frequencies of light produce different sensations in the eye which we interpret as colors. Our eyes detect light by using light sensitive components...more

ExploraTour - Looking at the World in a Different Light

Imagine you found a pair of special glasses that not only gave you telescopic vision but gave you the ability to see all forms of radiant energy. The universe in visible light contains all the familiar...more

ExploraTour - Looking at the World in a Different Light

This is a volcano on the island of Miyake in Japan. It has erupted, sending hot lava and ash into the air, a total of ten times. The time after one eruption until the next occurred was about twenty years...more

ExploraTour - Looking at the World in a Different Light

The awesome power of a giant black hole was revealed by looking at this galaxy in three different types of light. The picture that you see is of Centaurus A, a very peculiar galaxy. A galaxy is just a...more

ExploraTour - Looking at the World in a Different Light

This is a plant in Gary, Indiana where power is made. We use power to run things like television sets, radios, lights, and microwave ovens. The picture looks very strange because it was taken in infrared....more

Windows to the Universe, a project of the National Earth Science Teachers Association, is sponsored in part is sponsored in part through grants from federal agencies (NASA and NOAA), and partnerships with affiliated organizations, including the American Geophysical Union, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Earth System Information Partnership, the American Meteorological Society, the National Center for Science Education, and TERC. The American Geophysical Union and the American Geosciences Institute are Windows to the Universe Founding Partners. NESTA welcomes new Institutional Affiliates in support of our ongoing programs, as well as collaborations on new projects. Contact NESTA for more information. NASA ESIP NCSE HHMI AGU AGI AMS NOAA