Europa's Disconnected Surface
Explanation:
Jupiter's moon
Europa is so exciting that the
Galileo spacecraft orbiting
Jupiter has now embarked on an
extended mission to study it.
Oceans that might exist beneath
Europa's surface are thought to be
one of the best places to look for
life in our Solar System. The
Galileo Europa Mission
has planned eight close fly-bys
frozen moon. The
first close encounter of this extended mission
occurred last December and the
next will occur in February.
The
above enhanced color picture
shows a small region of Europa's Conamara region.
The white and blue colors highlight regions
covered by ice dust from the collision
that created the
Pwyll Crater.
Disconnected islands of ice are visible that have apparently
rafted to new positions.
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.