Close-Up Photo of Jupiter’s Moon Europa Shows a Bizarre Surface

NASA ’s Juno spacecraft took images of Jupiter ’s icy moon Europa during a recent flyby . One of the photos — released this week by NASA — offers an intimate scene of Europa ’s surface features .

Juno has orbited the accelerator pedal giant Jupiter since 2016 , but only recently has NASA divert the spacecraft ’s attention to the satellite ’s moon . Europa is of special scientific stake because scientist trust a salty ocean dwell beneath the moon ’s quick-frozen surface .

If such an ocean is there — something the upcomingEuropa Clipper missionwill investigate using aerofoil - get through radar — it could host component for life , if not lifetime itself .

An artist’s rendering of the future Europa Clipper mission above Europa.

An artist’s rendering of the future Europa Clipper mission above Europa.Illustration:NASA/JPL-Caltech

The late image was take during Juno ’s flyby on September 29 , during which the spacecraft come within about 220 miles of the synodic month ’s Earth’s surface . The image cover a or so 11,600 - square - mile swath of Europa , a area dominated with grooves and ridges in the chicken feed . It ’s a black - and - white photo accept from about 256 miles above the surface and is the highest - resolution image withdraw of a specific dower of the lunar month .

The new pic build on thefirst images releasedfrom the flyby . Darker splotches on the ice could indicate something beneath the moon ’s impertinence push through onto the surface , according to a late NASArelease . White fleck dotting the range of a function are signatures of high - energy particles from the radiation in the moon ’s surrounding environment .

“ These features are so intriguing , ” pronounce Heidi Becker , the hint co - investigator for the television camera used to take the image , in the tone ending . “ see how they formed – and how they connect to Europa ’s story – inform us about internal and external process shaping the icy crust . ”

The surface of Europa, as seen by Juno.

The surface of Europa, as seen by Juno.Image:NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI

Though Juno get down its focus on Jupiter , its investigation has amplify to that of four Galilaean satellite and the gas giant ’s rings — not so easily figure , butrecently capturedin images by the Webb Space Telescope .

Juno flew by Ganymede ( the large moon in the solar system ) in June 2021 , and in 2023 Io will get its own flyby . Juno is significantly expanding its experimental object and will be supplanted in the former 2030s by NASA ’s Europa Clipper , which will look into Europa ’s ability to foster life with body politic - of - the - art instruments .

Europa ’s surface may look reasonably unfriendly in dark and white and from 200 miles up , but beneath the ice , it could be an totally different story .

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