Posted on 11/22/2014 11:31:42 AM PST by BenLurkin
Europa, Jupiter’s sixth-closest moon, has long been a source of fascination and wonder for astronomers. Not only is it unique amongst its Jovian peers for having a smooth, ice-covered surface, but it is believed that warm, ocean waters exist beneath that crust – which also makes it a strong candidate for extra-terrestrial life.
And now, combining a mosaic of color images with modern image processing techniques, NASA has produced a new version of what is perhaps the best view of Europa yet. And it is quite simply the closest approximation to what the human eye would see, and the next best thing to seeing it up close.
The high-resolution color image, which shows the largest portion of the moon’s surface, was made from images taken by NASA’s Galileo probe. Using the Solid-State Imaging (SSI) experiment, the craft captured these images during it’s first and fourteenth orbit through the Jupiter system, in 1995 and 1998 respectively.
The view was previously released as a mosaic with lower resolution and strongly enhanced color (as seen on the JPL’s website). To create this new version, the images were assembled into a realistic color view of the surface that approximates how Europa would appear to the human eye.
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In addition to the newly processed image, JPL has released a new video that explains why this likely ocean world is a high priority for future exploration:
(Excerpt) Read more at universetoday.com ...
And Percival Lowell thought he saw lines/canals on Mars :)
Look like very large fissures in the ice covering ... and perhaps an algae form of life living in them?
Not while it is still true (Bammy is still in charge of NASA outreach I believe) and NASA remains a mere shell of its former quintessential American Exceptionalist Self.
Nice example (though apparently NOT on the track...).
Chuck Todd apparently finds false color to be nourishing....
I know.
Of course, you know. Everybody knows.
No sense in going on and on about it, and ‘cluttering’ up threads about it. It wouldn’t be so bad, but usually there’s a bunch of people doing so, and it gets annoying after awhile, and it’s nothing new to anyone. Just give it a rest. As I said, it’s like beating a dead horse.
Some dead horses need to be beaten until they are removed from the streets.
Those need a barf alert for me — including the “blonde” model. Looks like a snowplow ran into the back of the Europa. The earlier models (cars) looked great.
LOL!
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