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| Detail satellite Europa surface obtained by the Galileo probe . Credit: NASA / JPL / University of Arizona / University of Colorado . |
When the vast majority of people hear the word Europe, I often come to mind cities like Paris, Madrid and Brussels. But for a small group of people, including myself included, when we hear that word does not think about cities, monuments or countries of the continent. What comes to mind is the giant icy satellite of Jupiter, in my case, I guess its icy crust torn with red filaments rich in salt, giving a distinctive look to other solar system bodies.
The first person on record in Europe was seen Galileo Galilei with his small telescope on January 7, 1610, although there is a side that believes it was the German astronomer Simon Marius the true discoverer of these moons some days before. Whatever the true discoverer, found that Jupiter was orbited by a set of 4 satellites, which were subsequently called Galilean in honor of the Italian astronomer. Years later expanded catalog of satellites of the gas giant which currently are estimated A total of 63 moons.
Although Europe is the smallest of the Galilean is why no less important because Europe is surrounded by a layer of ice, but behind it seems to be a salty ocean where it can make living conditions, which gives it great interest . My colleague Olga Prieto Ballesteros has a Ph.D. in planetary geology of the Center for Astrobiology (CSIC-INTA) told me that "Europe is exploring a new challenge for planetologists and astrobiology."
The trajectory of the spacecraft around the planet Jupiter is very elliptical, which causes the tidal are greater the closer you are, this means that there are tensions within, to deform and cracks occur showy reddish surface.
But what for me is the most important consequence of these forces is what some called tidal heating, allowing the melting and forming the ocean Europe. "So far our habitabildad concept focused on the surface of planets, but Europe breaks with that statement, and forces us to look inside," said my companion. Parameters such as water temperature reached will be crucial for determine if conditions allow the existence of life, thought to be very similar to what might be found in Lake Vostok located on the Antarctic continent. "In the coming decades, he argues Olga-space missions will have to determine the physical, chemical and geological characteristics of the subsurface, and see if Europa's ocean is or is not hostile to life."
If all goes smoothly, in situ exploration Europe could begin in 2020 with the launch of the mission EJSM / Laplace (ESA / NASA), the mission is still planned, and has been the result of a difficult choice between explore this satellite or re Titan, but Cassini-Huygens mission has already had the opportunity to explore the Saturnian satellite. On this occasion, is Europe's turn. ---
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Although Europe is the smallest of the Galilean is why no less important because Europe is surrounded by a layer of ice, but behind it seems to be a salty ocean where it can make living conditions, which gives it great interest . My colleague Olga Prieto Ballesteros has a Ph.D. in planetary geology of the Center for Astrobiology (CSIC-INTA) told me that "Europe is exploring a new challenge for planetologists and astrobiology."
The trajectory of the spacecraft around the planet Jupiter is very elliptical, which causes the tidal are greater the closer you are, this means that there are tensions within, to deform and cracks occur showy reddish surface.
But what for me is the most important consequence of these forces is what some called tidal heating, allowing the melting and forming the ocean Europe. "So far our habitabildad concept focused on the surface of planets, but Europe breaks with that statement, and forces us to look inside," said my companion. Parameters such as water temperature reached will be crucial for determine if conditions allow the existence of life, thought to be very similar to what might be found in Lake Vostok located on the Antarctic continent. "In the coming decades, he argues Olga-space missions will have to determine the physical, chemical and geological characteristics of the subsurface, and see if Europa's ocean is or is not hostile to life."
If all goes smoothly, in situ exploration Europe could begin in 2020 with the launch of the mission EJSM / Laplace (ESA / NASA), the mission is still planned, and has been the result of a difficult choice between explore this satellite or re Titan, but Cassini-Huygens mission has already had the opportunity to explore the Saturnian satellite. On this occasion, is Europe's turn. ---
Interested? Also follow me on Twitter .
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