Europa

Why in news?

• A team of researchers from Stanford University have said that one of Jupiter’s moons Europa, a prime candidate for life in the solar system, might have an abundance of water pockets beneath formations called double ridges.

What is Europa?

• Europa is the sixth-largest moon in the solar system and Jupiter’s fourth-largest satellite. It was discovered in 1610 by Galileo Galilei.
• Europa is slightly smaller than Earth’s moon.
• Europa’s surface is mostly solid water ice. It is crisscrossed by fractures.
• Even though Europa has a very thin oxygen atmosphere, it is considered one of the most promising places in the solar system to find present-day environments that are suitable for life beyond the Earth.
• It is also believed that underneath Europa’s icy surface the amount of water is twice that on Earth.
• NASA is expected to launch its Europa Clipper in 2024. The module will orbit Jupiter and conduct multiple close flybys to Europa to gather data on the moon’s atmosphere, surface and its interior.

New Findings:

• The researchers have found that double ridges found on Europa’s surface are similar to those seen on Earth’s Greenland ice sheet.
  • Double ridges are symmetrical mountain-like structures running hundreds of kilometers in length.
  • They are a common geographical feature found in Greenland.
• Based on these findings, the researchers ??suggest that if a similar process is responsible for the formation of double ridges there, it could indicate that shallow liquid water is present over Europa’s ice shell at all times and in all places.
• The findings increase the potential habitability of Europa.

PRACTICE QUESTION

The celestial body ‘Europa’ is recently seen in news because:

(a) It is a star that has close resemblance with the Sun

(b) It is the biggest black hole ever found

(c) It has potential to develop and maintain environments hospitable to life

(d) It is an asteroid with potential to hit the Earth in future date

Answer