Observations with the Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph of the Hubble Space Telescope, first described in 1995, revealed that Europa has a thin atmosphere composed mostly of molecular oxygen (O2), and some water vapor. The surface pressure of Europa's atmosphere is 0.1 μPa, or 10−12 times that of the Earth.
How dense is Europa’s atmosphere?
With a mean density of 3.013 ± 0.005 g/cm3, Europa is significantly less dense than any of the other Galilean moons.
Can you 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.
What is Europa’s atmosphere made up of?
oxygen 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.
How thick is Europa’s?
10 to 15 miles Scientists think Europa's ice shell is 10 to 15 miles (15 to 25 kilometers) thick, floating on an ocean 40 to 100 miles (60 to 150 kilometers) deep. So while Europa is only one-fourth the diameter of Earth, its ocean may contain twice as much water as all of Earth's oceans combined.
How thick is Europa’s ice shell?
22.0 km Results and DiscussionThe CBE ice shell thickness for Europa is 22.0 km (Figure 2), though the spread in potential thicknesses is great. Only ~1% of possible configurations are thinner than 15 km, and the median thickness is ~40 km.
What does Europa’s surface look like?
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.
Is the water on Europa drinkable?
The best places to look for life are where the ocean overlies warm rock. This may be the case inside Europa (Jupiter) and Enceladus (Saturn), but chemical reactions with the rock would make the liquid water salty, so not good to drink.
What makes Europa habitable?
For Europa to be potentially habitable, it would need to have the essential chemical ingredients for the chemistry of life. These include carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus and sulfur, which are common elements, and scientists think it's likely they were present on Europa as it formed.
Can you walk on Pluto?
Pluto is only about two-thirds as wide as Earth's moon and has about the same surface area as Russia. … As a comparison, on Earth, you could blot out the full moon with your thumb if you held out your arm, but it would take almost your entire fist to block Charon while standing on Pluto, Stern said.