Europa: Discover Life Under the Ice
Explanation:
Looking for an interplanetary vacation destination?
Consider a visit to Europa,
one of the Solar System's
most
tantalizing moons.
Ice-covered Europa follows an elliptical path in its 85 hour orbit
around our ruling gas giant Jupiter.
Heat generated from strong tidal flexing by Jupiter's gravity keeps
Europa's salty subsurface ocean liquid all year round.
That also means even in the absence of sunlight
Europa has energy
that could support simple life forms.
Unfortunately, it is currently not possible to make reservations at
restaurants
on Europa, where you might enjoy a dish of the local
extreme shrimp.
But you can always choose another destination from
Visions
of the Future.
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.
