By Charlie Carissimo

EUROPAJupiters Icy Moon

IT IS INCREDIBLE TO THINK…

…THAT THERE MIGHT BE WATER

IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM BEYOND

EARTH

AND THEREFORE THE POSSIBILITY OF

LIFE

LET’S GO MORE IN DEPTH:

EUROPA,

JUPITERS ICY MOON

EUROPA IS ONE OF JUPITER’S MANY

MOONS

IT IS SLIGHTLY SMALLER THAN EARTH’S MOON

EUROPA’S SURFACE IS ONE OF THE

SMOOTHEST AND BRIGHTEST IN THE

SOLAR SYSTEM

THERE ARE VERY FEW CRATERS ON

EUROPA

ITS SURFACE IS MADE UP OF…

AND IS ALSO STRIATED BY CRACKS AND

STREAKS

THESE CRACKS AND STREAKS ARE

CALLED LINEAE

LINEAE

THEY ARE PROBABLY CAUSED BY

ERUPTIONS OF WARM ICE…

AS THE CRUST TRIED TO SPREAD TO

EXPOSE WARMER LAYERS

BUT THE INTERESTING PART

IS WHAT’S UNDERNEATH THE

CRUST…

UNDER ITS ICY SURFACE

SCIENTISTS HAVE HYPOTHESISED THAT THERE IS

EITHER…

A LIQUID OCEAN,

WHICH WOULD BE

THE BIGGEST IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM

OR WARM CONVECTING ICE

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:EuropaInterior1.jpg

IF THIS WERE TRUE THERE COULD BE LIFE

IN ENVIRONMENTS SIMILAR TO THOSE

NEAR EARTH’S HYDROTHERMAL VENTS

THE LIFE WOULD BE VERY PRIMITIVE, LIKE MICROBES

IT’S SOMEHOW EVEN HARDER TO

IMMAGINE THAT THERE IS LIFE ON A

MOON

THAN TO IMMAGINE LIFE ON ANOTHER

PLANET

BUT IT’S NOT IMPOSSIBLE

SOURCES

MICROBES:www.lausd.k12.ca.us/Figueroa_EL/images/Mystery%20to%20Medicine/microbes.jpg

VENT:www.noc.soton.ac.uk/chess/education/Images/Logatchev1.jpg

www.wikiedia.com

www.nasa.gov

ICE:www.tea.armadaproject.org/Images/porter/porter_320_word_ICE.jpg

EUROPA: www.wwu.edu/depts/skywise/planets/europa.jpg