Slightly smaller than Earth’s Moon, Europa is primarily made of
silicate rock
and has a water-ice crust and probably an iron–nickel core. It has a very thin atmosphere, composed primarily of oxygen. Its surface is striated by cracks and streaks, but craters are relatively few.
What is the atmosphere of Europa made of?
Europa does have an atmosphere, although tenuous. This atmosphere is composed solely of
oxygen
. Unlike our atmosphere, the oxygen in Europa’s atmosphere is likely not produced biologically. Europa’s atmosphere is maintained by charged particles that hit its cold surface and produce water vapor.
What is the surface of Europa made of?
Europa’s surface is made of
water ice
and so it reflects 5.5 times the sunlight than our Moon does. Europa orbits Jupiter at about 417,000 miles (671,000 kilometers) from the planet, which itself orbits the Sun at a distance of roughly 500 million miles (780 million kilometers), or 5.2 astronomical units (AU).
What is Ganymede surface made of?
The moon is composed of equal amounts
silicate rock and water ice
and has several layers. Ganymede is made of rocky material and water ice. It has a metallic iron and iron sulfide core which is surrounded by a rocky mantle and a very thick icy crust.
Is Europa made of rock?
Europa’s relatively high density of 3.04 grams per cubic centimeter implies that is
composed mostly of rock and metal
, with relatively little water ice. This material has probably separated into a metal-rich core and a rock-rich mantle, with the core having a radius of 500 to 1000 kilometers.
Can we breathe on Europa?
Europa has a thin oxygen atmosphere, but
it is far too tenuous for humans to breathe
. From the surface of Europa, Jupiter appears 24 times larger than the moon appears in our sky. Europa’s magnetic field shields its surface from Jupiter’s deadly radiation.
Can Europa sustain life?
Europa’s surface is blasted by radiation from Jupiter. That’s a bad thing for life on the surface –
it couldn’t survive
. But the radiation may create fuel for life in an ocean below the surface. The radiation splits apart water molecules (H2O, made of oxygen and hydrogen) in Europa’s extremely tenuous atmosphere.
Why is Venus called Earth’s sister?
Venus and Earth are often called twins
because they are similar in size, mass, density, composition and gravity
. … Venus is the hottest planet in the solar system. Although Venus is not the planet closest to the sun, its dense atmosphere traps heat in a runaway version of the greenhouse effect that warms Earth.
Why is Europa special?
Europa is
a frozen, icy world
and is a unique object in the solar system – scientists believe that beneath the frozen layer of ice on Europa’s surface, there is a salt-water ocean in contact with a rocky seafloor. If this is proven to be true, Europa may be a promising place for life to exist beyond Earth.
Can we live on Titan?
Although
there is so far no evidence of life on Titan
, its complex chemistry and unique environments are certain to make it a destination for continued exploration.
Can we breathe on Ganymede?
In 1996, astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope found evidence of a thin oxygen atmosphere. However, it is too thin to support life as we know it;
it is unlikely that any living organisms inhabit Ganymede
.
Does Ganymede have oxygen?
Ganymede has three main layers. … Astronomers using Hubble found evidence of
a thin oxygen atmosphere
on Ganymede in 1996. The atmosphere is far too thin to support life as we know it. In 2004, scientists discovered irregular lumps beneath the icy surface of Ganymede.
Can we live on Ganymede?
Bigger than Mercury and only slightly smaller than Mars, Ganymede may host more water than all of Earth’s oceans in a subterranean ocean about 100 miles/ 160 kilometres below its crust. It’s thought that
single-cell microbial life
—extremophiles—could exist there.
What planet is Europa?
Europa orbits
Jupiter
, the fifth planet from the Sun. Jupiter orbits the Sun at a distance of about 484 million miles (778 million kilometers).
What is the most habitable moon?
The strongest candidates for natural satellite habitability are currently icy satellites such as those of Jupiter and Saturn—Europa and
Enceladus
respectively, although if life exists in either place, it would probably be confined to subsurface habitats.
