What is the red stuff on Europa? Despite their unnerving appearance, the red scars criss-crossing Europa are, of course, not biological. They are actually cracks and ridges marking weak lines within the moon’s ice crust, emphasised and exacerbated by the swelling and falling of tides due to Jupiter’s gravitational pull.
Likewise, Is the water on Europa drinkable?
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.
Thereof, Why are there cracks on Europa? According to researcher Gregory Hoppa the curved cracks on Europa are caused by its orbit being slightly excentric due to the influence of Io and Ganymede (other moons of Jupiter). … When Europa is farther, the tides fall because Jupiter’s force falls. This causes Europa’s ice shell to flex.”
What are the brown marks on Europa?
Brown, linear (double) ridges extend prominently across the scene. They could be frozen remnants of cryovolcanic activity which occurred when water or partly molten water ice erupted on the Europan surface, freezing almost instantly in the extremely low temperatures so far from our sun.
Why does Europa have lines?
The reddish-brown lines that crisscross the icy surface of Jupiter’s moon Europa may be radiation-bombarded sea salt from an underground ocean, a new study suggests.
How cold is it on Europa?
Europa’s surface temperature averages about 110 K (−160 °C; −260 °F) at the equator and only 50 K (−220 °C; −370 °F) at the poles, keeping Europa’s icy crust as hard as granite.
How deep are the oceans on Europa?
Europa’s possible ocean is estimated to be 100-200km deep. Despite the great depth of the Europa’s ocean, hydrostatic pressure at the seafloor would be 130-260 MPa, corresponding to 13-26 km depth of a theoretical Earth’s ocean.
Is Earth the only planet with life?
The third planet from the sun, Earth is the only place in the known universe confirmed to host life. With a radius of 3,959 miles, Earth is the fifth largest planet in our solar system, and it’s the only one known for sure to have liquid water on its surface. … Earth is the only planet known to maintain life.
How deep are the cracks on Europa?
Fractures on Europa’s icy surface formed during true polar wander. The large crack going from lower left to upper right is about 1.9 miles (3 km) wide and 200 meters (600 feet) deep.
Where is Enceladus?
Enceladus is one of the major inner satellites of Saturn along with Dione, Tethys, and Mimas. It orbits at 238,000 km from Saturn’s center and 180,000 km from its cloud tops, between the orbits of Mimas and Tethys.
What are the cracks on Europa?
These cracks and ridges in the south polar region of Jupiter’s moon Europa have been rotated into sigmoidal or “S” shapes by the motion of Astypalaea Linea, a strike-slip fault in the moon’s icy surface.
Why is Europa’s surface smooth?
Europa is one of the smoothest objects in the Solar System. Although there are many surface features, including craters, these are few and far between. It is believed that the surface of the moon orbiting Jupiter is a series of brittle tectonic ice plates moving on top of a warmer layer of convecting ice.
What color is Ganymede?
While most of Ganymede is relatively brownish in color, possibly due to the contamination of the icy surface by meteoritic material, these polar frosts are more neutrally colored. Bright spots are fresh, young impact craters and their ejecta patterns.
What is in Jupiter planet?
Jupiter is primarily composed of hydrogen, but helium constitutes one quarter of its mass and one tenth of its volume. It likely has a rocky core of heavier elements, but like the other giant planets, Jupiter lacks a well-defined solid surface.
Is Europa core hot?
This illustration, updated as of December 2020, depicts NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft.
Does Europa have warm water?
Introduction: Jupiter’s moon Europa has a mean density suggestive of rock, but a reflectance spectrum that shows that it is covered by water ice [1]. … In this case the cold water at the base of the ice shell may be underlain by a deep ocean that is several degrees warmer than the melting temperature of the ice.
Is there water on Europa moon?
WASHINGTON — Scientists said they have found evidence of water in the atmosphere of Jupiter’s icy moon “Europa.” NASA said its Hubble space telescope observed the presence of persistent water vapor over a large area of Europa’s atmosphere. Interestingly, the water vapor was only present in one hemisphere.
Does Europa have fish?
That amount of oxygen would be enough to support more than just microscopic life-forms: At least three million tons of fishlike creatures could theoretically live and breathe on Europa, said study author Richard Greenberg of the University of Arizona in Tucson.
Can Titan support life?
Although there is so far no evidence of life on Titan, its complex chemistry and unique environments are certain to make it a destination for continued exploration.
Which moon is most likely to support life?
The strongest candidates for natural satellite habitability are currently icy satellites such as those of Jupiter and Saturn—Europa and Enceladus respectively, although if life exists in either place, it would probably be confined to subsurface habitats.
Will humans ever leave the Solar System?
As respondent Charles Hornbostel explained, “With human exploration of Mars expected no earlier than the 2025-30 time frame, it is reasonable to expect humans will not have reached the orbits of Neptune and Pluto by century’s end, barring any breakthroughs in exotic propulsion technology.”
How was Earth named?
The name Earth derives from the eighth century Anglo-Saxon word erda, which means ground or soil. … The planet’s name in Latin, used academically and scientifically in the West during the Renaissance, is the same as that of Terra Mater, the Roman goddess, which translates to English as Mother Earth.
Who discovered Earth?
By around 500 B.C., most ancient Greeks believed that Earth was round, not flat. But they had no idea how big the planet is until about 240 B.C., when Eratosthenes devised a clever method of estimating its circumference.
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