NASA’s Juno mission has been studying Jupiter and its moons, including Europa, an icy moon of particular interest due to its potential for harboring life. Recent analysis of high-definition images captured by JunoCam has revealed fractures and other features on Europa’s surface, including surprisingly large pits up to 30 miles wide. These features suggest that the icy crust of Europa is not fixed but is instead floating on top of an ocean, supporting the theory of true polar wander.
Juno’s Stellar Reference Unit (SRU) camera has also captured black-and-white images of Europa’s nightside, revealing features caused by water plumes jetting up from the ocean beneath the icy crust. These findings hint at ongoing surface activity and the presence of subsurface liquid water on Europa.
The research, published in the Planetary Science Journal and JGR Planets, provides valuable insights for future missions to Europa, such as NASA’s Europa Clipper and ESA’s Juice, which aim to investigate the moon’s habitability potential and search for signs of life.
