Past observations have indicated that the icy moon of Jupiter has a vast subsurface ocean. Launching in October, NASA’s Europa Clipper will go there in search of evidence that it could support life
, Europa might at first appear a bit drab. With its greyish-white surface, you might even say it resembles a well-worn cue ball in a run-down pool hall. On closer inspection, however, the Jovian system’s fourth-largest moon is shimmering with intrigue from deep within.
From what we can tell, its icy outer layer conceals a vast global ocean containing twice the volume of water on Earth.
Clipper promises answers. It will study the moon’s surface and the ocean hidden beneath in unprecedented detail. It could even sample the water in plumes of vapour if, as we suspect, they are erupting from Europa’s surface. And although it isn’t designed to find direct evidence of life – a bacterial cell, say – recent developments suggest there is a fleeting chance it could do exactly that.
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