NASA's Juno Mission Provides New Insights into Europa's Icy Shell Thickness
A recent study published in Nature Astronomy has provided a significant breakthrough for the search of life beyond Earth, as NASA's Juno spacecraft has measured the thickness of Jupiter's moon Europa's ice shell. The data collected by the Microwave Radiometer (MWR) instrument during the 2022 flyby indicates that the ice shell averages approximately 18 miles in thickness.
This new measurement is a significant milestone for understanding the habitability of Europa, which is considered one of the most promising destinations in our solar system to search for signs of life. The presence of liquid water beneath the ice, combined with potential energy sources and nutrients, creates an ideal environment that could support microbial life.
However, if the estimated thickness of 18 miles is accurate, it would imply a longer route for oxygen and nutrients to travel from Europa's surface to its subsurface ocean. This is crucial information for future studies on Europa's habitability, as it could impact the search for potential biosignatures.
The data collected by Juno also reveals insights into the makeup of the ice just below Europa's surface. The MWR instrument detected "scatterers" – irregularities in the near-surface ice such as cracks, pores, and voids that scatter microwaves reflecting off the ice – which appear to be no bigger than a few inches in diameter and extend to depths of hundreds of feet.
While these findings suggest that the size and depth of these features are unlikely to be a significant pathway for oxygen and nutrients to travel from Europa's surface to its salty ocean, they do provide critical context for understanding the moon's potential habitability. The study also sheds light on the complex puzzle surrounding Europa's ice shell, including its thickness, composition, and internal structure.
"These findings are crucial for NASA's Europa Clipper and the ESA's Juice spacecraft, both of which are scheduled to arrive at Jupiter's system in 2030," said Scott Bolton, principal investigator of Juno. "The data from Juno is helping us better understand the habitability of Europa, which is a key component of our search for life beyond Earth."
The study was published on December 17 and marks an important milestone for the Juno mission, which has been instrumental in advancing our understanding of Jupiter's icy moons. The mission will continue to explore the gas giant and its moons, providing valuable insights into their composition, geology, and potential habitability.
For more information about Juno, visit: https://science.nasa.gov/mission/juno
A recent study published in Nature Astronomy has provided a significant breakthrough for the search of life beyond Earth, as NASA's Juno spacecraft has measured the thickness of Jupiter's moon Europa's ice shell. The data collected by the Microwave Radiometer (MWR) instrument during the 2022 flyby indicates that the ice shell averages approximately 18 miles in thickness.
This new measurement is a significant milestone for understanding the habitability of Europa, which is considered one of the most promising destinations in our solar system to search for signs of life. The presence of liquid water beneath the ice, combined with potential energy sources and nutrients, creates an ideal environment that could support microbial life.
However, if the estimated thickness of 18 miles is accurate, it would imply a longer route for oxygen and nutrients to travel from Europa's surface to its subsurface ocean. This is crucial information for future studies on Europa's habitability, as it could impact the search for potential biosignatures.
The data collected by Juno also reveals insights into the makeup of the ice just below Europa's surface. The MWR instrument detected "scatterers" – irregularities in the near-surface ice such as cracks, pores, and voids that scatter microwaves reflecting off the ice – which appear to be no bigger than a few inches in diameter and extend to depths of hundreds of feet.
While these findings suggest that the size and depth of these features are unlikely to be a significant pathway for oxygen and nutrients to travel from Europa's surface to its salty ocean, they do provide critical context for understanding the moon's potential habitability. The study also sheds light on the complex puzzle surrounding Europa's ice shell, including its thickness, composition, and internal structure.
"These findings are crucial for NASA's Europa Clipper and the ESA's Juice spacecraft, both of which are scheduled to arrive at Jupiter's system in 2030," said Scott Bolton, principal investigator of Juno. "The data from Juno is helping us better understand the habitability of Europa, which is a key component of our search for life beyond Earth."
The study was published on December 17 and marks an important milestone for the Juno mission, which has been instrumental in advancing our understanding of Jupiter's icy moons. The mission will continue to explore the gas giant and its moons, providing valuable insights into their composition, geology, and potential habitability.
For more information about Juno, visit: https://science.nasa.gov/mission/juno
so yeah I'm like totally stoked that Juno's mission is giving us more deets on Europa's icy shell 
it's like, a major breakthrough for finding life beyond Earth 
18 miles of ice? whoa that's like, super thick 
imagine having to travel all the way through that to get to the subsurface ocean 
but at the same time, those tiny scatterers they found are like, interesting too 
maybe they can tell us more about Europa's internal structure 
anyway, this study is def a milestone for NASA and their Europa Clipper mission 
! Measuring 18 miles in thickness is a game changer for searching life beyond Earth 
. If the data is accurate, it would make it harder for oxygen and nutrients to reach the subsurface ocean, but at least we have more info on what's going on beneath that icy surface 
.
. It's crazy to think these tiny features extend hundreds of feet down into the moon's interior! 
. Can't wait to see what other discoveries come out of Juno's mission 
! I'm low-key excited to see what those future Europa Clipper and Juice spacecraft bring to the table. Maybe one day we'll discover some alien life forms lurking beneath that ice shell? 
Europa's Ice Shell is Like a Cosmic Game of Tetris 
Europa's Subsurface Ocean is Like a Black Hole for Oxygen 
! i mean, it makes sense that it would be hard for oxygen and nutrients to get through but still... it's like, a whole new level of mystery 
. i remember when nasa's cassini mission was exploring saturn's rings back in 2014 and how amazing the discoveries were. now we have this new mission with juno and it's all about europa! 