Nasa spots evidence of water plumes on Jupiter's moon Europa
Jets of spouting vapour from the icy shell could be tested for signs of life beyond Earth, say scientists
Jupiter's moon Europa may be expelling water plumes from under its icy shell, according to Nasa.
Tantalising evidence of what appeared to be spouting water vapour was spotted by scientists using ultraviolet light to observe the moon in silhouette, thanks to its planet serving as a bright light from behind.
"If plumes exist, this is an exciting find," said lead researcher William Sparks.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The discovery would make it easier for scientists to test samples of water for signs of life without drilling through miles of ice, he added.
If the moon does turn out to have water, energy and organic chemicals, it "could have the basic building blocks that developed into life on Earth", says The Guardian.
"For a long time humanity has been wondering whether there is life beyond Earth," said Nasa astrophysicist Paul Hertz. "We're lucky enough to live in an era where we can address questions like that scientifically.
"We have a special interest in any place that might possess those characteristics. Europa might be such a place."
However, scientist Jennifer Wiseman has downplayed the chances we could be about to find direct evidence of life with a flyby mission.
"The jury's out," she said. "It first depends on whether the plumes are really there."
Scientists' endeavours to gather clues of an ocean beneath Europa's icy shell started some decades ago. In 1979, Voyager spacecraft showed the ice was cracked in some places while in the 1990s, the Galileo mission, which spent eight years orbiting Jupiter, confirmed there was an ocean under the moon.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Major League Baseball is facing an epidemic of pitcher's injuries
Under the Radar Many insiders are blaming the pitch clock for the rise in injuries — but the league is not so sure
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
8 movie musicals that prove the screen can share the stage
The Week Recommends The singing and dancing, bigger than life itself
By Scott Hocker, The Week US Published
-
2024 Mother's Day Gift Guide
The Week Recommends A present for every mom
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
What is NASA working on?
In Depth A running list of the space agency's most exciting developments
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
14 recent scientific breakthroughs
In Depth From photos of the infant universe to an energy advancement that could save the planet
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
The hunt for Planet Nine
Under The Radar Researchers seeking the elusive Earth-like planet beyond Neptune are narrowing down their search
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Winchcombe meteorite: space rock may reveal how water came to Earth
The Explainer New analysis of its violent journey confirms scientific theories on the origin of our planet's H2O
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Why the Moon is getting a new time zone
The Explainer The creation of 'coordinated lunar time' is part of Nasa's mission to establish a long-term presence on Earth's only natural satellite
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
We're in the golden age of space exploration
In depth To infinity and beyond!
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
All the major moon landings so far
The Explainer One giant leap for mankind
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Jupiter's Europa has less oxygen than hoped
speed read Scientists say this makes it less likely that Jupiter's moon harbors life
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published