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Astronomy Picture of the Day -- Galileo's Europa Remastered
NASA ^
| November 27, 2014
| (see photo credit)
Posted on 11/29/2014 4:02:05 PM PST by SunkenCiv
Explanation: Looping through the Jovian system in the late 1990s, the Galileo spacecraft recorded stunning views of Europa and uncovered evidence that the moon's icy surface likely hides a deep, global ocean. Galileo's Europa image data has been newly remastered here, using improved new calibrations to produce a color image approximating what the human eye might see. Europa's long curving fractures hint at the subsurface liquid water. The tidal flexing the large moon experiences in its elliptical orbit around Jupiter supplies the energy to keep the ocean liquid. But more tantalizing is the possibility that even in the absence of sunlight that process could also supply the energy to support life, making Europa one of the best places to look for life beyond Earth. What kind of life could thrive in a deep, dark, subsurface ocean? Consider planet Earth's own extreme shrimp.
(Excerpt) Read more at 129.164.179.22 ...
TOPICS: Astronomy; Astronomy Picture of the Day; Science
KEYWORDS: apod; astronomy; europa; galileo; jupiter; science
[Credit: NASA, JPL-Caltech, SETI Institute, Cynthia Phillips, Marty Valenti]
1
posted on
11/29/2014 4:02:05 PM PST
by
SunkenCiv
To: brytlea; cripplecreek; decimon; bigheadfred; KoRn; Grammy; steelyourfaith; Mmogamer; dayglored; ...
2
posted on
11/29/2014 4:03:55 PM PST
by
SunkenCiv
(https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/_______________________Celebrate the Polls, Ignore the Trolls)
To: SunkenCiv
ALL THESE WORLDS ARE YOURS EXCEPT EUROPA
ATTEMPT NO FISHING THERE
3
posted on
11/29/2014 4:10:25 PM PST
by
Ken H
(What happens on the internet stays on the internet.)
To: SunkenCiv
Interesting, to say the least.
4
posted on
11/29/2014 4:11:32 PM PST
by
onyx
(Please Support Free Republic - Donate Monthly! If you want on Sarah Palin's Ping List, Let Me know!)
To: Ken H
Feds to impose slot limit on Europan bass, catch
limited to one per orbit.
5
posted on
11/29/2014 4:13:03 PM PST
by
tet68
( " We would not die in that man's company, that fears his fellowship to die with us...." Henry V.)
To: tet68
All your bass are belong to us.
6
posted on
11/29/2014 4:37:19 PM PST
by
Ken H
(What happens on the internet stays on the internet.)
To: Ken H
Someone set Europa up the bass.
7
posted on
11/29/2014 4:39:37 PM PST
by
tet68
( " We would not die in that man's company, that fears his fellowship to die with us...." Henry V.)
To: SunkenCiv
Some scientists claim that Europa's sub-surface ocean might be 60 miles deep.
I've never understood how that much water (or ice) could collect in - and stay on the surface of - a moon that is smaller than our own moon.
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wrap this up. Let's git 'er done.
9
posted on
11/29/2014 5:13:17 PM PST
by
RedMDer
(I don't listen to Liars but when I do I know it's Barack Obama.)
To: SunkenCiv; All
Should I be a’skeered that The Shrimp People are coming? Nah. Red Lobster will get the fishing rights, LOL!
Stunning photo, though.
But, can some smartie ‘splain to me how can they tell that the water is liquid underneath?
10
posted on
11/29/2014 5:29:44 PM PST
by
Diana in Wisconsin
(I don't have 'Hobbies.' I'm developing a robust Post-Apocalyptic skill set...)
To: Diana in Wisconsin
The temperature and possibly the rise and fall of the surface.
11
posted on
11/29/2014 5:32:56 PM PST
by
SunkenCiv
(https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/_______________________Celebrate the Polls, Ignore the Trolls)
To: SunkenCiv
So, it ripples and sloshes, kind of like a full water balloon?
12
posted on
11/29/2014 5:40:04 PM PST
by
Diana in Wisconsin
(I don't have 'Hobbies.' I'm developing a robust Post-Apocalyptic skill set...)
To: Ken H
My God.
It’s full of LOL.
To: SunkenCiv
14
posted on
11/29/2014 6:29:54 PM PST
by
mikrofon
(APOD Bump)
To: Diana in Wisconsin
Gravitational pull creates tidal friction, which translates into thermal generation. Not enough to generate real heat, actually - the actual temp of liquid water is still cold enough to freeze the personals off an iron dog - but the salinity and pressure is enough to keep it in a liquid form, and potentially within the survivable boundaries of the aquatic extremophiles known on Earth.
To: Viking2002
16
posted on
11/30/2014 7:42:18 AM PST
by
Diana in Wisconsin
(I don't have 'Hobbies.' I'm developing a robust Post-Apocalyptic skill set...)
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