NASA’s Hubble Spots Possible Water Plumes Erupting on Jupiter's Moon Europa

NASA ^ | September 26, 2016 | Staff

[C19fan]

Astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope have imaged what may be water vapor plumes erupting off the surface of Jupiter's moon Europa. This finding bolsters other Hubble observations suggesting the icy moon erupts with high altitude water vapor plumes.

The observation increases the possibility that missions to Europa may be able to sample Europa’s ocean without having to drill through miles of ice.

“Europa’s ocean is considered to be one of the most promising places that could potentially harbor life in the solar system,” said Geoff Yoder, acting associate administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington. “These plumes, if they do indeed exist, may provide another way to sample Europa’s subsurface.”

[rjsimmon]

You just haven’t watched enough B Sci-fi movies or you’d know these things.

I gave up after "Plan 9 from Outer Space" and the remake of "The day the Earth stood still".

[Ancesthntr]

You’re right, we don’t need Europa for water.

Previously drought-stricken Israel now has an impending water surplus, due to new desalinization technology it developed. $0.58 for 1,000 liters of water! http://www.nextbigfuture.com/2016/07/israel-has-desalination-fresh-water.html

“The country faces a previously unfathomable question: What to do with its extra water? Enter desalination. The Ashkelon plant, in 2005, provided 127 million cubic meters (166 million cubic yards) of water. Hadera, in 2009, put out another 140 million cubic meters (183 million cubic yards). And now Sorek, 150 million cubic meters (196 million cubic yards). All told, desalination plants can provide some 600 million cubic meters (785 million cubic yards) of water a year, and more are on the way.

Desalination used to be an expensive energy hog, but the kind of advanced technologies being employed at Sorek have been a game changer. Water produced by desalination costs just a third of what it did in the 1990s. Sorek can produce a thousand liters of drinking water for 58 cents. Israeli households pay about US$30 a month for their water — similar to households in most U.S. cities, and far less than Las Vegas (US$47) or Los Angeles (US$58).

IDE, the Israeli company that built Ashkelon, Hadera and Sorek, recently finished the Carlsbad desalination plant in Southern California, a close cousin of its Israel plants, and it has many more in the works. Worldwide, the equivalent of six additional Sorek plants are coming online every year. The desalination era is here.”

[mountainlion]

If there is any trace of water on Phobos they must have superior civilization to us.

[metmom]

It’s the first thing I thought of.

I liked Clarke’s earlier works before he started promoting homosexuality in his books, but what I have found fascinating about him is the foresight he’s had.

Seems that sci-fi writers have that. A better ability to foresee the future than others.

[jmacusa]

Klatu barrada nikkto.