The latest study suggests that the presence of water on Jupiter’s moon Europa makes it habitable.
Jupiter has four Galilean moons: Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. And in a surprising development, NASA scientists have found water on the surface of one of the smallest of the four Galilean moons that orbit Jupiter. This study has been published in the Planetary Science Journal, which revealed that water exists in the icy crust of Jupiter’s moon Europa. This also suggests the possibility of accessible liquid water bodies in the outer solar system. This also paves the way for an important path of exploration for life beyond Earth.
The study suggests that the water could be close to Europa’s surface at about 4 to 8 kilometers, which usually contains the coldest and most brittle ice. Some deeper deposits may have ice that is warmer and can deform more easily. Although, in some cases, this also means that the water reservoirs cannot reach the highest point of overpressure that is important for spontaneous eruption.
Previous studies show that “freezing of cryogenic reservoirs could trigger eruptions due to pressurization associated with volume change as liquid water expands to become water ice.” However, these studies could not account for reservoir wall deformation. “The viscoelastic deformation of the wall can act to accommodate the increasing overpressure and prevent eruptions,” the study mentions.
Europa Clipper mission to explore more details
The NASA space agency has confirmed that the Europa Clipper mission will launch in 2024 to find out if the Moon has the conditions to support life. NASA has also answered why it has chosen Europa’s moon to study the habitable environment. The reasons are simple. Europa has almost everything that is needed for life: water, chemistry and energy, NASA said.
Europa Clipper, the spacecraft in orbit around Jupiter will carry scientific instruments to study Europa. Previously, NASA missions suggested Europa’s moon has a salty ocean beneath its icy crust. Now he will study whether Europe is habitable or not.
