Europa: Ancient Water World
Explanation:
Beneath the cold icy surface of
Jupiter's moon
Europa are probably the only oceans of water in our
Solar System outside of
Earth. These oceans,
possibly 50 kilometers deep, might also be the most likely local place
to find extra-terrestrial life.
Europa's smooth surface is unlike any
other known planet or moon, giving evidence for relatively few craters or
mountains.
Europa was discovered by
Galileo
and
Marius in 1610. The
NASA spacecraft Galileo
is scheduled to arrive at Jupiter in December of 1995.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
