Although the phase [
http://antwrp.gsfc.…] of this moon might appear familiar, the moon itself might not. In fact, this gibbous phase [
http://en.wikipedia…] shows part of Jupiter [
http://www.nineplan…]'s moon Europa [
http://www.nineplan…]. The robot spacecraft Galileo [
http://en.wikipedia…Galileo_(spacecraft) ] captured this image [
http://planetimages…new-color-views-of-e uropa.html ] mosaic during its mission orbiting Jupiter from 1995 - 2003. Visible are plains [
http://antwrp.gsfc.…] of bright ice [
http://antwrp.gsfc.…], cracks [
http://antwrp.gsfc.…] that run to the horizon, and dark patches [
http://antwrp.gsfc.…] that likely contain both ice and dirt. Raised terrain [
http://antwrp.gsfc.…] is particularly apparent near the terminator [
http://en.wikipedia…Terminator_(solar) ], where it casts shadows [
http://antwrp.gsfc.…]. Europa [
http://antwrp.gsfc.…] is nearly the same size as Earth's Moon [
http://antwrp.gsfc.…], but much smoother, showing few highlands [
http://csep10.phys.…moon_surface.html ] or large impact craters [
http://antwrp.gsfc.…]. Evidence and images from the Galileo spacecraft [
http://solarsystem.…], indicated that liquid oceans might exist [
http://antwrp.gsfc.…] below the icy surface. To test speculation that these seas hold life, ESA [
http://en.wikipedia…] has started preliminary development of the Jovian Europa Orbiter [
http://www.jpl.nasa…], a spacecraft proposed to orbit Europa. If the surface ice is thin enough, a future mission might drop hydrobots [
http://www.jpl.nasa…journey-future.html ] to burrow into the oceans and search for life.
Explanation
Although the phase [
http://antwrp.gsfc.…] of this moon might appear familiar, the moon itself might not. In fact, this gibbous phase [
http://en.wikipedia…] shows part of Jupiter [
http://www.nineplan…]'s moon Europa [
http://www.nineplan…]. The robot spacecraft Galileo [
http://en.wikipedia…Galileo_(spacecraft) ] captured this image [
http://planetimages…new-color-views-of-e uropa.html ] mosaic during its mission orbiting Jupiter from 1995 - 2003. Visible are plains [
http://antwrp.gsfc.…] of bright ice [
http://antwrp.gsfc.…], cracks [
http://antwrp.gsfc.…] that run to the horizon, and dark patches [
http://antwrp.gsfc.…] that likely contain both ice and dirt. Raised terrain [
http://antwrp.gsfc.…] is particularly apparent near the terminator [
http://en.wikipedia…Terminator_(solar) ], where it casts shadows [
http://antwrp.gsfc.…]. Europa [
http://antwrp.gsfc.…] is nearly the same size as Earth's Moon [
http://antwrp.gsfc.…], but much smoother, showing few highlands [
http://csep10.phys.…moon_surface.html ] or large impact craters [
http://antwrp.gsfc.…]. Evidence and images from the Galileo spacecraft [
http://solarsystem.…], indicated that liquid oceans might exist [
http://antwrp.gsfc.…] below the icy surface. To test speculation that these seas hold life, ESA [
http://en.wikipedia…] has started preliminary development of the Jovian Europa Orbiter [
http://www.jpl.nasa…], a spacecraft proposed to orbit Europa. If the surface ice is thin enough, a future mission might drop hydrobots [
http://www.jpl.nasa…journey-future.html ] to burrow into the oceans and search for life.
Explanation
