Europa is an icy moon of Jupiter. Is there life on Europa Is there life on Jupiter's moon Europa

The other day, scientists reported that on Europa, the moon of Jupiter, there are water geysers beating from under the surface near the south pole. If so, there are great chances to find life on Europa - after all, huge water oceans are hidden under the icy surface of the satellite, and thanks to geysers it will be much easier to reach them. But Europa isn't the only place in the solar system where scientists hope to find life. I will talk about some of them.

Europa is a moon of Jupiter. The surface of Europa is covered in ice, and under the ice, as it turns out, huge water oceans are hidden. Despite the fact that the radius of Europa is 4 times smaller than the Earth's, there can be twice as much liquid water here than on our planet. The depth of the oceans on Europa can reach 100 kilometers, while the deepest place on Earth is the Mariana Trench, and its depth is “only” 11 kilometers.

The news about geysers makes this satellite an attractive place to study and search for life. After all, where there is liquid water, there may well be life! At least, it is in such places that it is worth looking for in the first place. And geysers can help a lot in this - after all, you can take water samples without even landing on the surface of the satellite, but simply by flying through the jets of matter escaping from geysers.

The surface of Enceladus, Saturn's moon, is also covered in ice. Interestingly, in some areas there are quite a lot of meteorite craters on its surface, while in other places there are almost none. This does not mean that meteorites fell unevenly on Enceladus - just those areas where there are few craters are much younger; processes occur on the surface of the satellite that constantly change its appearance. It turns out that in the region of the south pole of Enceladus, powerful jets of water vapor escape from under the surface. Their height reaches several hundred kilometers! Water freezes very quickly - it turns out snow, part of which flies into outer space, and part settles on the surface of the satellite. It is now believed that under the ice crust on Enceladus are water oceans.

Due to the fact that the orbit of the satellite is slightly elongated and it turns out to be a little closer to Saturn, then a little further from it, the satellite constantly slightly changes its shape, and at the same time it warms up. If you take a piece of plasticine in your hands and start to knead it, you will feel how it heats up a little - about the same thing happens with Enceladus. That is why, despite the fact that its surface is ice-bound, there may be water oceans at depth.

Where to fly in search of alien living creatures? Geysers do not always act on Europa, but it is much closer to us than Enceladus. And even closer - Mars. And scientists are also very hopeful of finding life here. At first glance, Mars is not a very hospitable planet. There is almost no atmosphere, no magnetic field - such an invisible "umbrella" that would protect the planet from harmful cosmic radiation. True, water was found on Mars, but on the surface it is in the form of ice (which, of course, is not very good for life). Once upon a time, there were huge water oceans on Mars, just like on Earth, and it may well be that there were very suitable conditions for the origin and development of life. But gradually the magnetic field became weaker, the climate began to change dramatically, and now liquid water can no longer be found on the surface of Mars (if it appears, it evaporates very, very quickly).

But if there was once life on Mars, then it could be preserved in the soil under the surface of the planet. At a depth of several meters, the influence of cosmic radiation will no longer be felt, and, in addition, liquid water may already be there. Last week, scientists working with the Curiosity rover reported that the Gale crater, on which the robot is now crawling, was most likely the location of a freshwater lake in the past, and in this lake there were full-fledged conditions for life. It would be especially interesting to look into the Martian caves. There are vertical dips on the surface of Mars - there are similar places on Earth that are entrances to caves formed when earth rocks were washed out by water. So far, not a single device has visited the Martian failures, so now we can only guess what is inside? Perhaps there really is water or even life.

Although scientists believe that there may also be life on other planets and satellites of the solar system, you should not hope to find real Martians there, any creatures that look like us, our cats, birds, or fish - everything that we are used to seeing. around you. Most likely, in order to see extraterrestrial life, we will have to look through a microscope. In addition to fairly complex life (like you and me), very small creatures live on Earth, which, as a rule, cannot be seen with the naked eye. Some of these microorganisms thrive in conditions that would be simply unbearable for us - for example, at temperatures above 100 degrees, or, conversely, in extremely cold places. Scientists believe that some terrestrial bacteria could survive outside the Earth - for example, on the same Mars, or in the subglacial oceans of satellites. And if even the simplest microorganisms can be found somewhere else in our solar system, this will mean that life is not such a rarity in our Universe!

The JUICE spacecraft will fly to Jupiter and its moons in 2022.

Recently the European Space Agency ( ESA) launched the project JUICE (JUpiter ICy moons Explorer), the purpose of which will be to study the gas giant - the planet Jupiter, and its three moons: Europa, covered with an icy crust with an ocean under it, and rocky-ice Callisto and Ganymede. It is believed that these large and in many ways mysterious satellites (some of them larger than Mercury) may be the habitat of some kind of extraterrestrial life. Since life arose from water on Earth, it is also searched for in space where there is water, in one form or another. It is on the border of the aquatic environment and solid rocks of the celestial body, according to scientists, that any signs of extraterrestrial living beings can be found.

Jupiter and its moons Io, Europa, Ganymede, Callisto (composition) (NASA).

Ganymede (NASA).

The JUICE spacecraft in the vicinity of Jupiter (composition by ESA artist).

Under the terms of the program JUICE a spacecraft with a complex of scientific equipment (weighing more than 100 kg) should head to Jupiter in mid-2022. And only in January 2030 will it approach the largest planet in the solar system. From a high elliptical orbit, the device will have to study Jupiter itself, its atmosphere and magnetosphere. Also, remote studies of Jupiter's satellites will be carried out with the implementation of multiple active-gravity maneuvers in the gravitational fields of both the largest planet and the above-mentioned Europa, Ganymede and Callisto.

So, from February to October 2031, while in a jovicentric orbit, it should fly over cratered Callisto and icy Europa. As a result of such a maneuver, we should obtain additional information about the surface of the satellites. In particular, the first measurements of the thickness of Europa's ice crust will be made; Moreover, with the help of data from JUICE it will be possible to figure out where it is better to parachute for future missions. At the same time, the device will observe Io and other, smaller moons of Jupiter.

From November 2031 to August 2032, it is planned to study the interaction of the magnetic fields of Ganymede and Jupiter and further study of the atmosphere and magnetosphere of Jupiter.

In September 2032, the spacecraft will move into satellite orbit around Ganymede (with an altitude of 5,000 km), where it will study the physicochemical characteristics and map the surface of the satellite. The observations of the magnetic fields of the planets will continue. It is assumed that this stage will last until February 2033, after which the device will descend into a circular orbit with a height of 500 km. For three months, he will study the structure of the ice crust from here and its possible interaction with the subsurface ocean of Ganymede.

Finally, in June 2033 JUICE will descend even lower, to a height of 200 km, in order to study the surface of the satellite, its topographic features, structure and composition of near-surface rocks with a higher resolution. The planned duration of such work is until July 2033. It is assumed that if by that time the energy resource JUICE will not be exhausted and the device will function normally, then it will continue to observe Ganymede from a low satellite orbit.

> Europe

Europe- the smallest satellite of the Galilean group of Jupiter: table of parameters, detection, research, name with photo, ocean under the surface, atmosphere.

Europa is part of the 4 moons of Jupiter discovered by Galileo Galilei. Each one is unique and has its own interesting features. Europe is in the 6th position in terms of remoteness to the planet and is considered the smallest of the Galilean group. It has an icy surface and possible warm water. It is considered one of the best targets for finding life.

Europa satellite detection and name

In January 1610, Galileo noticed all four satellites with an improved telescope. Then it seemed to him that these bright spots reflect the stars, but then he realized that he was seeing the first moons in a strange world.

The name was given in honor of the Phoenician noblewoman and mistress of Zeus. She was the child of the king of Tyre, and would later become queen of Crete. The name was suggested by Simon Marius, who claimed to have found the moons on his own.

Galileo refused to use this name and simply numbered the satellites with Roman numerals. The Maria proposal was revived only in the 20th century and gained popularity and official status.

The discovery of Almatea in 1892 moved Europe to 3rd place, and the finds of Voyager in 1979 to 6th.

Size, mass and orbit of Europa

In the radius of Jupiter's satellite Europa covers 1560 km (0.245 of the earth), and in terms of mass - 4.7998 x 10 22 kg (0.008 of ours). It is also inferior to the lunar size. The orbital path is almost circular. Due to an eccentricity index of 0.09, the average distance from the planet is 670,900 km, but it can approach 664,862 km and move away 676,938 km.

Like all objects in the Galilean group, it resides in a gravitational block - it is turned on one side. But perhaps the lock is not complete and there is an option for non-synchronous rotation. The asymmetry in the internal mass distribution could lead to the fact that the lunar axial rotation is faster than the orbital one.

It takes 3.55 days to orbit the planet, and the inclination to the ecliptic is 1.791°. There is a 2:1 resonance with Io and a 4:1 resonance with Ganymede. Gravity from two satellites causes fluctuations in Europe. Approaching and moving away from the planet leads to tides.

Thus, you learned which satellite of which planet Europe is.

Tidal bowing due to resonance can lead to heating of the inland ocean and activation of geological processes.

Composition and surface of Europa

The density reaches 3.013 g / cm 3, which means it consists of a rocky part, silicate rock and an iron core. Above the rocky interior is an ice layer (100 km). It may be separated by the outer crust and the lower ocean in a liquid state. If the latter exists, it will be warm, salty with organic molecules.

The surface makes Europa one of the smoothest bodies in the system. It has few mountains and craters because the top layer is young and active. It is believed that the age of the renewed surface is 20-180 million years.

But the equatorial line still got a little and 10-meter ice peaks (penitents) created by the influence of sunlight are noticeable. Large lines extend for 20 km and have scattered dark edges. Most likely, they appeared due to the eruption of warm ice.

There is also an opinion that the ice crust can rotate faster than the inside. This means that the ocean is able to separate the surface from the mantle. Then the ice layer behaves according to the principle of tectonic plates.

Other features include elliptical linticules related to a variety of domes, pits, and spots. The peaks are reminiscent of the old plains. Could have been formed from melt water flowing to the surface, and rough patterns are small fragments of darker material.

During the Voyager flyby in 1979, reddish-brown material was visible covering the faults. The spectrographer says that these areas are rich in salt and are deposited through the evaporation of water.

The albedo of the ice crust is 0.64 (one of the highest among the satellites). The level of surface radiation is 5400 mSv per day, which would kill any living creature. The temperature index drops to -160°C at the equatorial line and -220°C at the poles.

The subsurface ocean on the Europa satellite

Many scientists believe that the ocean is in a liquid state under the ice layer. This is hinted at by many observations and the curvature of the surface. If so, then it extends for 200 m.

But this is a moot point. Some geologists choose the thick ice model, where the ocean has little to no contact with the surface layer. This is most strongly indicated by large-scale lunar craters, the largest of which are surrounded by concentric rings and filled with fresh ice deposits.

The outer ice crust covers 10-30 km. It is believed that the ocean can occupy 3 x 10 18 m 3, which is twice as much as the amount of water on Earth. The presence of the ocean was indicated by Galileo's apparatus, which noted a small magnetic moment induced by the changing part of the planetary magnetic field.

Periodically note the occurrence of water jets, towering 200 km, which is 20 times higher than the earth's Everest. They appear when the satellite is as far from the planet as possible. This is also observed on Enceladus.

Europa satellite atmosphere

In 1995, the Galileo apparatus recorded on Europa a weak atmospheric layer, represented by molecular oxygen with a pressure of 0.1 micro Pascal. Oxygen does not have a biological origin, but is formed due to radiolysis, when UV rays from the planetary magnetosphere hit the icy surface and split water into oxygen and hydrogen.

A review of the surface layer revealed that some of the molecular oxygen created is retained due to mass and gravity. The surface is able to contact the ocean, so oxygen can reach the water and activate biological processes.

A large volume of hydrogen escapes into space, forming a neutral cloud. In it, almost every atom goes through ionization, creating a source for the planetary magnetospheric plasma.

Europa exploration

Pioneer 10 (1973) and Pioneer 11 (1974) were the first to fly. Close-up photographs were delivered by the Voyagers in 1979, where they transmitted an image of the icy surface.

In 1995, the Galileo spacecraft embarked on an 8-year mission to study Jupiter and nearby moons. With the emergence of the possibility of a subsurface ocean, Europa has become an interesting target for study and attracted scientific interest.

Among the mission proposals is Europa Clipper. The device should have a radar that breaks through the ice cover, a short-wave infrared spectrometer, a topographic thermal imager and an ion-neutral mass spectrometer. The main goal is to explore Europe to determine its habitability.

The possibility of launching a lander and a probe is also being considered, which should determine the oceanic extent. Since 2012, the concept of JUICE is being prepared, which will fly over Europe and take the time to study.

Europa satellite habitability

Jupiter's moon Europa has a high potential to search for life. It can exist in the ocean or hydrothermal vents. In 2015, it was announced that sea salt is able to cover geological features, which means that the liquid is in contact with the bottom. All this indicates the presence of oxygen in the water.

All this is possible if the ocean is warm, because at low temperatures, the life we ​​are used to will not survive. High levels of salt will also be deadly. There are hints of the presence of liquid lakes on the surface and an abundance of hydrogen peroxide on the surface.

In 2013, NASA announced the discovery of clay minerals. They could appear due to a comet or asteroid impact.

Europa colonization

Europe is seen as a profitable target for colony and conversion. First of all, it has water. Of course, you will have to drill a lot, but the colonists will get a rich source. The inland ocean will also provide air and rocket fuel.

Rocket strikes and other ways to increase the temperature will help sublimate the ice and form an atmospheric layer. But there are also problems. Jupiter is besieging the moon with a huge amount of radiation from which you can die in a day! Therefore, the colony will have to be placed under the ice cover.

Gravity is low, which means the crew will have to contend with physical weakness in the form of atrophied muscles and broken bones. A special set of exercises is performed on the ISS, but the conditions there will be even more difficult.

It is believed that organisms can live on the satellite. The danger is that the arrival of man will bring terrestrial microbes that will violate the usual conditions for Europe and its "inhabitants".

While we are trying to colonize Mars, Europe will not be forgotten. This satellite is too valuable and has all the necessary conditions for the existence of life. So the probes will one day be followed by humans. Examine the surface map of Jupiter's moon Europa.

Click on the image to enlarge it

One of Jupiter's largest moons, Europa, has long attracted the attention of astronomers. What is hiding under the planet's thick ice sheet? Scientist Richard Greenberg claims that this celestial body is covered by the ocean, which means that there is always hope to find life there.

Europa is the smallest of the Galilean moons orbiting Jupiter. With a diameter of 3,000 kilometers, it is only slightly smaller than the Moon. Like other satellites of Jupiter, Europa is a young planetary formation with a soft surface. It differs from other bodies in the solar system by the presence of oxygen in the atmosphere and an ice shell that completely encases the surface.

Professor of the University of Arizona Richard Greenberg devoted thirty years to the study of Europe - one of the supporters of the theory of the existence of life on this celestial body. After studying data from the research satellites Galileo and Cassini, he came to the conclusion that the ocean is hiding under the ice surface.

This opinion is not common in the scientific community. Most astronomers assume that the thickness of the ice on the surface of Europa reaches tens of kilometers. However, Greenberg makes many reasonable arguments in defense of his theory.

Europa is a very young celestial body by astronomical standards, subject to tectonic processes in the core. In this case, seismic incidents and volcanic eruptions should occur, even if we do not see them under the ice. It would be reasonable to assume that somewhere in the depths the ice passes into a liquid state.

The second factor that completes the picture can be considered the strong deviations of Europe from the orbit. For an 85 hour revolution around Jupiter, the moon deviates by an average of 1% from a stable orbit. Such a movement is sure to cause a tidal effect. At the same time, the diameter of the equator should increase by an average of 30 meters. For example, under the influence of the Moon, the Earth's equator changes by only 1 meter.

Constant heating and churning should keep Europa's inland ocean liquid. Greenberg goes on to let his imagination run wild and speculates that microorganisms could have landed on the surface of Jupiter's moon along with meteorites. Further, they simply penetrated deep into the deep cracks covering the ice crust. The existence of such clefts is confirmed by numerous photographs of research probes.

Greenberg describes in detail the biochemical processes that can lead to oxygenation of water, and hence to the appearance and growth of microalgae. For himself, the professor has already proved the existence of living organisms on Europe, and now he is trying to reach out to the public and the scientific community.

In his book Unmasked Europe, Professor Richard Greenberg talks not only about his theory and its evidence, but also about the intrigues in the Galileo project, in which he himself took part. According to him, the statement that Europe is covered with a continuous and monolithic layer of ice is not based on scientific evidence, but was expressed by the project management and taken on faith by the rest of the team.

Scientists have good enough reason to believe that Europa, one of Jupiter's moons, has water. It is quite possible that it is hidden under a thick crust of ice that covers the satellite. This makes Europe very attractive to study, especially considering that the presence of water can potentially indicate the presence of life on the satellite. Unfortunately, so far we have no evidence that there are indeed signs of life in the icy ocean, but scientists are already developing plans for future expeditions to Europe to find out.

In the meantime, we only have the opportunity to study the data received from the Hubble Space Telescope from Europe. One of the latest, for example, tells us that a space telescope noticed how giant geysers rise from the surface of Europa into space to a height of 160 km. It is also worth noting here that Hubble observed water emissions from Europe last year. However, scientists have only now gotten to this information and they were very interested in photographs of areas in which signs of ultraviolet luminescence were noted.

Scientists later found out that this glow was the result of a collision of water molecules ejected from the surface of Europa against Jupiter's magnetic field. The researchers believe that the cracks on Europa's surface act as a kind of vent to remove water vapor. The same "system" was found on Enceladus, Saturn's moon. In addition, as data from the telescope show, the release of water stops at the moment when Europa is at its closest point to Jupiter. Astronomers believe that this is most likely due to the gravitational influence of the planet, which creates a kind of plug for cracks on the satellite.

This discovery is very useful for scientists, as it opens up the possibility of studying the chemical composition of Europa without having to drill into its upper surface. Who knows, maybe this water vapor contains microbiological life. Finding an answer to this question will take some time, but we will definitely get it.

Astronomers have come to the conclusion that under the thick layer of ice that covers Jupiter's moon Europa, there is an ocean of water, extremely rich in oxygen. If there was life in this ocean, then this volume of dissolved oxygen would be enough to support millions of tons of fish. However, so far there is no talk of the existence of any complex life forms in Europe.

Interesting in the world of Jupiter's satellite is that the planet is comparable in size to ours, but Europe is covered with an ocean layer, the depth of which is about 100-160 kilometers. True, this ocean froze on the surface, the thickness of the ice, according to modern estimates, is about 3-4 kilometers.

Recent simulations by NASA have made it clear that, in theory, Europe could support the most common marine life on Earth.

The ice on the surface of the satellite, like all the water on it, consists mainly of hydrogen and oxygen. Given that Europa is under a constant blow of radiation from Jupiter and the Sun, the ice forms the so-called free oxygen and other oxidants, such as hydrogen peroxide.

Obviously, there are active oxidants under the surface of Europa. At one time, it was active oxygen that led to the emergence of multicellular life on Earth.

In the past, the Galileo spacecraft detected an ionosphere on Europa, which indicated the existence of an atmosphere around the satellite. Subsequently, with the help of the Hubble Orbital Telescope, traces of an extremely weak atmosphere, the pressure of which does not exceed 1 micropascal, were indeed noticed near Europa.

The atmosphere of Europa, although very rarefied, nevertheless consists of oxygen formed as a result of the decomposition of ice into hydrogen and oxygen under the influence of solar radiation (light hydrogen evaporates into space at such a low gravity).

Life on Europe

Water geyser on Europa as depicted by NASA artists

Theoretically, life on Europa could already be at a depth of 10 meters. After all, here the concentration of oxygen increases significantly, and the density of ice decreases.

Moreover, the water temperature on Europa can be significantly higher than most researchers suggest. The fact is that Europe is in the strong gravitational field of Jupiter, which attracts Europe 1000 times stronger than the Earth attracts. Obviously, under such a pull, the solid surface of Europa, on which the ocean is located, must be very active in geological terms, and if so, then there must be active volcanoes, the eruptions of which raise the temperature of the water.

The latest computer models show that Europa's surface actually changes every 50 million years. In addition, at least 50% of the floor of Europa is mountain ranges, formed under the influence of Jupiter's gravity. It is gravity that is also responsible for the fact that a significant part of the oxygen on Europa is located in the upper layers of the ocean.

Taking into account the current dynamic processes on Europa, scientists have calculated that it takes only 12 million years for Europa's ocean to reach the same level of oxygen saturation as on Earth. During this period of time, enough oxide compounds are formed here to support the largest marine life that exists on our planet.

Vessel for the development of the subglacial ocean

In a July 2007 article in the Journal of Aerospace Engineering, a British mechanical engineer suggests sending a submarine to explore Europe's oceans.

Carl T. F. Ross, a professor at the University of Portsmouth in England, proposed a design for a submarine built from a metal matrix composite. He also made suggestions regarding the power supply system, communications technology and impulse propulsion in an article titled "Conceptual Design for a European Ocean Exploration Submarine".

Ross's article also contains information on how to make a submarine able to withstand the monstrous pressures at the bottom of the oceans of Europe. According to scientists, the maximum depths will be about 100 km, which is 10 times higher than the maximum depths on Earth. Ross proposed a three-meter cylindrical apparatus with an internal diameter of 1 m. He considers a titanium alloy, which is able to withstand high hydrostatic pressures well, inappropriate in this case, since the apparatus will not have sufficient buoyancy. Instead of titanium, he suggests using a metal or ceramic composite material, which has better strength and buoyancy.

However, McKinnon, professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences at the University of Washington in Sept. Lewis, Missouri notes that today it is quite expensive and difficult to send a research vehicle into orbit around Europe, what then to say about sending a descent submersible. Sometime in the future, after we determine the thickness of the ice cover, we will be able to reasonably transfer the terms of reference to the engineers. Now it is better to study those places of the ocean where it is easier to get to. We are talking about the sites of recent eruptions in Europe, the composition of which can be determined from orbit.

Jet Propulsion Laboratory is currently developing the Europa Explorer, which will be delivered to Europe in a lower orbit, which will enable scientists to determine the presence or absence of liquid water under the ice crust, and also, according to McKinnon, will determine the thickness of the ice cover.

McKinnon adds that the orbiter will also be able to detect "hot spots" indicative of recent geological or even volcanic activity, as well as provide high-resolution images of the surface. All this will be necessary in order to plan and carry out a successful landing.

The appearance of Europa's surface suggests that it is very young. Data from the Galileo spacecraft show that layers of ice located at shallow depths are melting, which entails the displacement of huge blocks of ice crust, which are very similar to icebergs on Earth.

While on the surface of Europa daytime temperatures reach -142 degrees Celsius, the interior temperature can be much higher, high enough for liquid water to exist under the crust. This internal heating is believed to be caused by the tidal forces of Jupiter and its other moons. Scientists have already proven that such tidal forces are the cause of the volcanic activity of another Jupiterian satellite, Io. It is possible that hydrothermal vents are located at the bottom of the Europa ocean, which lead to the melting of ice. On Earth, underwater volcanoes and hydrothermal vents create environments favorable for the life of colonies of microorganisms, so it is possible that similar life forms exist on Europe.

There is a great interest among scientists in the mission to Europe. However, this is at odds with the plans of NASA, which attracts all financial reserves for the mission to return a person to. As a result, the Jupiter Icy Moon Orbiter (JIMO) mission to study three of Jupiter's satellites has already been canceled; NASA's 2007 budget simply did not have enough funds for its implementation.

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Water on Europe. Jupiter's unique moon

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Scientists have good enough reason to believe that Europa, one of Jupiter's moons, has water. It is quite possible that it is hidden under a thick crust of ice that covers the satellite. This makes Europe very attractive to study, especially considering that the presence of water can potentially indicate the presence of life on the satellite. Unfortunately we don't have any...