What makes Europa different from the other icy moons in our Solar System is its interaction between the ocean and rocky mantle layer. There is possibility of hydrothermal vents where the two layers meet which indicates a sign of chemistry that can sustain life. We see similar vents on Earth that are home to microbial lifeforms. It will be interesting to see the results we get from the Europa Clipper and JUICE missions in the next decade. In the meantime, drop your questions about Europa below and let us know what you are curious to find about the moon!
Image: Europa. Credit: NASA/ JPL-Caltech/ DLR.
Shivangi Sharan is a postdoctoral research associate at Imperial College London, working on prioritising the research that will be carried out using the JUICE magnetometer data. Previously, she has worked on the interior of Mars and Jupiter using their magnetic observations. She is an active member of the IAGA Blog Team and can be contacted via e-mail here.
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