October 14, 2024, NASA Released Robot spaceship with a name europa clipperTo the moons of Jupiter. Clipper will arrive on Jupiter’s icy moon Europa in 2030 and spend several years collecting valuable data about the moon’s potential habitability before sending it back to Earth.
Clipper is not the only mission highlighting researchers’ interest in Jupiter and its moons.
On April 13, 2023, the European Space Agency launched a rocket carrying a spacecraft bound for Jupiter. that Jupiter Ice Moon Explorer– or JUICE – will spend at least three years after arriving on Jupiter’s moon in 2031.
I am a planetary scientist who studies Structure and evolution of solid planets moon In the solar system.
There are many reasons why my colleagues and I hope that Europa Clipper and JUICE will obtain data to send back to Earth in the 2030s. But perhaps the most interesting information has to do with water. Three of Jupiter’s moons (Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto) have large underground oceans of liquid water that could support life.
This composite image shows Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto from top to bottom next to Jupiter. NASA, CC BY-ND
Discover Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto
Jupiter has dozens of moons. Four of them are of particular interest to planetary scientists.
Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto are relatively large, spherical, and complex worlds, like Earth’s moon. Two previous NASA missions sent spacecraft into orbit around the Jupiter system to collect data on this moon. that galileo mission It orbited Jupiter from 1995 to 2003 and led to geological discoveries on all four large moons. that Juno Mission It still orbits Jupiter today and has given scientists an unprecedented view of Jupiter’s composition, structure, and space environment.
These missions and other observations have revealed that of the four planets, Io is the closest to its host planet. make a fusslipid activityThese include lava lakes, volcanic eruptions, and tectonically formed mountains. However, it is not a place with a lot of water.
In contrast, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto have icy landscapes. Europa’s surface is a frozen wonderland with a young but complex history. Including perhaps ice analogues. Plate tectonics and volcanoes. Ganymede, the largest moon in the entire solar system, is larger than Mercury and has its own magnetic field. Generated internally from a liquid metal core. Although Callisto appears to be somewhat inactive compared to the others, it serves as a valuable time capsule of an ancient past that is no longer accessible from the young surfaces of Europa and Io.
What’s most interesting is that Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto are all almost certainly underground ocean of liquid water.
The warmth of Europa’s interior and the tidal energy of Jupiter likely maintain a large liquid ocean beneath the moon’s icy surface. NASA/JPL-Caltech/Michael Carroll
ocean world
The surfaces of Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto are very cold. hundreds of degrees below zero. At this temperature, ice behaves like solid rock.
but like the earthThe deeper you go underground, the hotter it gets. If it goes down far enough, it will eventually reach a temperature where the ice melts and turns into water. Exactly how far along each satellite these transitions occur. subject discussion Scientists hope to figure it out with JUICE and the Europa Clipper. Although the exact depth is still uncertain, scientists are confident that such oceans exist.
The best evidence for this ocean comes from Jupiter’s magnetic field. Sea water is electrically conductive. Therefore, as these moons move through Jupiter’s magnetic field, It generates a secondary, small magnetic field. This is a signal to researchers of the existence of an underground ocean. Using this technique, planetary scientists were able to show that there are three things. There is an underground ocean on the moon. And this sea is not small. Just the sea of Europa double water It’s all the oceans on Earth combined.
The next obvious and exciting question is whether these oceans could support extraterrestrial life. Liquid water is an important part of creating a habitable world, but it is not the only requirement for life. It is necessary in life too Energy and Certain Chemicals compound, It thrives in addition to water. Because this ocean is hidden beneath miles of solid ice. Sunlight and photosynthesis ceased.. However, other sources may provide the necessary materials.
For example, on Europa, there is a liquid ocean Overlaying the rocky interior. The rocky ocean floor could provide energy and chemicals via underwater volcanoes that could make Europa’s ocean habitable. However, Europa’s oceans may be barren and inhospitable. Scientists need more data to answer these questions.
The Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer spacecraft will travel for eight years before reaching Jupiter. ESA/ATG medialab/NASA/JPL/University of Arizona/J. nichols
Upcoming missions from ESA and NASA
Europa Clipper and JUICE were established to provide scientists with game-changing information about the potential habitability of Jupiter’s moons. While both missions will collect data for multiple months, JUICE will spend its time in orbit focusing on Ganymede, while Europa Clipper will make dozens of flybys of Europa.
Both spacecraft will carry an array of scientific instruments specifically built to investigate the ocean. Onboard radar allows Europa Clipper and JUICE. ‘To explore the moon’outer layer of solid ice. Radar can reveal small pockets of liquid water in the ice, which in the case of Europa has a thinner outer ice layer than Ganymede and Callisto. I hope you discover a bigger ocean.
magnetometer diagram in both missions. These tools will give scientists the opportunity to study in great detail the secondary magnetic fields created by the interaction of the conductive ocean with Jupiter’s magnetic field, and will hopefully provide clues about the ocean’s salinity and volume.
Scientists will also track subtle movements in the orbits of both spacecraft to observe small changes in the moon’s gravity. This could help determine if there are volcanoes on Europa’s ocean floor. Provides the necessary energy chemistry For the ocean to sustain life.
Finally, both spacecraft will carry multiple cameras and optical sensors that will provide unprecedented images of the geology and composition of the Moon’s icy surface.
Perhaps one day, spacecraft will be able to penetrate miles of solid ice on Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto and directly explore the oceans. Until then, observations from spacecraft like Europa Clipper or JUICE are the best way for scientists to learn about these ocean worlds.
When Galileo discovered this moon in 1609, it was the first object known to directly orbit another planet. Their discovery was the final nail in the coffin of the theory that Earth and humanity exist at the center of the universe. Perhaps another humble surprise awaits us in this world.
This article, originally published on April 10, 2023, has been updated with details about the Europa Clipper launch.
Mike Sori is an assistant professor of planetary science at Purdue University. This article is republished from: conversation below Creative Commons License. read original article.
