It is far far out from the sun and yet it's got this liquid water ocean, and the reason that Europa has liquid water is because it's orbiting Jupiter and the tidal tug and pull causes Europa to flex up and down and all that tidal energy turns into mechanical energy, which turns into friction and heat that helps …10 Jul 2017
What evidence is there for liquid water on Europa?
Data from a NASA planetary mission have provided scientists evidence of what appears to be a body of liquid water, equal in volume to the North American Great Lakes, beneath the icy surface of Jupiter's moon Europa. The data suggest there is significant exchange between Europa's icy shell and the ocean beneath.
Does Europa have a liquid water ocean?
It is estimated that Europa has an outer layer of water around 100 km (62 mi) thick; a part frozen as its crust, and a part as a liquid ocean underneath the ice.
Is there drinkable water on Europa?
The best places to look for life are where the ocean overlies warm rock. This may be the case inside Europa (Jupiter) and Enceladus (Saturn), but chemical reactions with the rock would make the liquid water salty, so not good to drink.
How was water found on Europa?
Europa is said to have a surface mostly made up of water ice and scientists have found evidence that beneath the ice crust is an ocean of liquid water or slushy ice. It was in 1979 when two Voyager spacecraft passing through the Jovian system provided the first hints that Europa might contain liquid water.
Can you breathe on Europa?
Europa has a thin oxygen atmosphere, but it is far too tenuous for humans to breathe. From the surface of Europa, Jupiter appears 24 times larger than the moon appears in our sky. Europa's magnetic field shields its surface from Jupiter's deadly radiation.
Is Europa habitable?
For Europa to be potentially habitable, it would need to have the essential chemical ingredients for the chemistry of life. These include carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus and sulfur, which are common elements, and scientists think it's likely they were present on Europa as it formed.
What makes Europa habitable?
For Europa to be potentially habitable, it would need to have the essential chemical ingredients for the chemistry of life. These include carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus and sulfur, which are common elements, and scientists think it's likely they were present on Europa as it formed.
Does life exist Europa?
The type of life that might inhabit Europa likely would not be powered by photosynthesis – but by chemical reactions. Europa's surface is blasted by radiation from Jupiter. That's a bad thing for life on the surface – it couldn't survive. But the radiation may create fuel for life in an ocean below the surface.
Does Europa spin?
Europa rotates once on its axis and completes one orbit of Jupiter every 3.5 Earth days, so the same side of Europa always faces Jupiter.