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Why is it thought that Europa may have life on it just because it has liquid water under the surface?
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. The radiation splits apart water molecules (H2O, made of oxygen and hydrogen) in Europa’s extremely tenuous atmosphere.
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.
What did the Hubble Space Telescope find that indicated Europa has liquid water below its surface?
NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope observations of Jupiter’s icy moon Europa have revealed the presence of persistent water vapor—but, mysteriously, only in one hemisphere. They produce transient blobs of water vapor in the moon’s atmosphere, which is only one-billionth the surface pressure of Earth’s atmosphere.
Is Europa a real planet?
Europa is the smallest of the Galilean moons of Jupiter, and the sixth closest natural satellite to the planet. Galileo Galilei discovered it along with Io, Ganymede and Callisto. Despite it being the smallest of the Galilean moons it is still one of the largest moons in our Solar System.
Can Europa support liquid water?
The reason Europa has liquid water is because tides — similar to the tidal interactions between Earth and its moon — cause Europa’s ice shell and interior to flex during the course of its orbit around Jupiter.
Does Europa have more water than Earth?
So while Europa is only one-fourth the diameter of Earth, its ocean may contain twice as much water as all of Earth’s oceans combined.
Can you see Europa from Earth?
Bottom line: You can see Jupiter’s four largest moons – Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto, known as the Galilean satellites – with your own eyes with the help of binoculars or a small telescope.
Why is Europa so 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.
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.
Does Europa have fresh water?
Scientists are almost certain that hidden beneath the icy surface of Europa is a saltwater ocean thought to contain about twice as much water as Earth’s global ocean. Slightly smaller than Earth’s Moon, Europa’s water-ice surface is crisscrossed by long, linear fractures, cracks, ridges and bands.
Why is the world running out of water?
The reasons for the huge pressure on Earth’s water resources include an increasing demand for energy due to an expanding global population and economic developments. The generation of electricity is one of the biggest sources of water consumption in the world. Agriculture and farming also need water.
Will the world begin running out of water by 2050?
The World Will Begin Running Out of Water By 2050.
Is there enough drinking water for everyone on Earth?
We often hear from the news media that there is not enough fresh, potable drinking water for all people on Earth, and that the number of people on Earth is increasing rapidly. So it might appear that our planet may one day run out of water. Fortunately, that is not the case.
What happens if there is no fresh water in a country?
Without enough fresh water, people go hungry. In addition to conflict and hunger, water shortages bring disease. Diarrhea, in particular, results from being forced to drink or wash with contaminated water. It may seem like an annoyance, but in poor countries, diarrhea kills more children than AIDS, malaria, and measles combined.