Europa, Jupiter’s fourth-largest moon, continues to captivate scientists with its unique features. Located roughly 500 million miles from the sun, Europa is slightly smaller than Earth’s moon but boasts characteristics more akin to a planet, including a magnetic field, a thin oxygen atmosphere, and a liquid iron core. Its most intriguing feature, however, is the 11-mile-thick icy shell concealing a salty ocean beneath. Recent images from NASA’s Juno spacecraft, which has been orbiting Jupiter since 2016, provide compelling evidence that this subterranean ocean may interact with the surface. A notable image captured during a close flyby in September 2022 reveals a region known as “the Platypus,” showcasing chaos terrain where the ice shell may allow saltwater to pool. Additionally, the discovery of a double ridge with potential saltwater stains hints at plumes reaching the surface. These findings, alongside observations of Europa’s shifting icy crust, suggest a dynamic environment. As Juno’s mission nears its end in 2025, future explorations by NASA’s Europa Clipper and the European Space Agency’s Juice mission are eagerly anticipated, promising further insights into this enigmatic moon.
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