Safekipedia

Europa (moon)

Adapted from Wikipedia · Explorer experience

A colorful photo of Jupiter's moon Europa taken during a flyby by NASA's Juno spacecraft.

Europa (moon)

Europa is one of the biggest moons that orbits the planet Jupiter. It was found a long time ago by two smart astronomers, Simon Marius and Galileo Galilei. Even though Europa looks small next to Earth's Moon, it is very special because scientists think it might have a warm ocean hiding under its icy surface.

Europa has a very smooth and young-looking surface. Instead of big mountains or craters, it has cracks and streaks. These cracks might be places where the icy surface has moved. Scientists believe that a salty water ocean is below this ice. The pull of Jupiter's gravity might keep this ocean warm, just like how a hug can keep you warm.

People have sent space probes to visit Europa. The Galileo spacecraft gave us many pictures and facts about Europa. A new mission called Europa Clipper was launched in 2024 to study Europa even closer. These missions help scientists find out if Europa's ocean could be a home for living things.

Europa was named after a character from Greek mythology. The story tells of Europa, a lovely girl loved by Zeus, the ruler of the gods. Another astronomer, Simon Marius, thought of this name. For a while, Europa was called "Jupiter II" because it was the second moon found around Jupiter. Now, it is known as Jupiter's sixth moon.

Europa is a little smaller than Earth's Moon. It is made mostly of rock and has a thick layer of water. Some of this water is frozen on top, and some is a liquid ocean below the ice. The Galileo spacecraft found that Europa has a weak magnetic field. This suggests there is a salty ocean under the surface. Scientists are very excited because this ocean might have the right conditions for life, just like the oceans on Earth.

Images

Close-up images of Jupiter's moon Europa showing its varied landscape with ridges, bands, and disrupted terrain captured by NASA's Galileo spacecraft.
A comparison of the sizes of the moon Europa, our Moon, and Earth to help us understand how big these celestial bodies are.
A space telescope image showing different forms of carbon dioxide detected on Europa, one of Jupiter's moons.
Scientists believe these water vapor plumes on Jupiter's moon Europa come from a hidden ocean below its icy surface.
A diagram showing the interior structure of Jupiter's moon Europa, with layers of ice, ocean, and rocky core.
An artist’s illustration showing how scientists believe plate tectonics might work on Jupiter’s moon Europa, with parts of its icy surface moving beneath others.
A colorful view of Jupiter's moon Europa taken by NASA's Juno spacecraft during its 45th orbit around the planet.
A detailed view of Jupiter's moon Europa, showing interesting ridges, pits, and domes that scientists study to learn about its surface and possible hidden water beneath.
A detailed view of Jupiter's moon Europa showing its broken, icy surface and tall ice mountains, captured by NASA's Galileo spacecraft.
Diagram showing the magnetic field around Jupiter's moon Europa, highlighting how the field lines bend around the moon.
A stunning view of Jupiter's moon Europa taken by the Voyager 2 spacecraft in 1979.
Animation showing how Jupiter's moons Io, Europa, and Ganymede move in a special pattern called Laplace resonance.
A historic image of Jupiter's moon Europa taken by the NASA spacecraft Pioneer 10 during its space mission.

Related articles

Simon Marius
Jupiter
Galileo Galilei
Earth
Moon
Greek mythology

This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Europa (moon), available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Images from Wikimedia Commons. Tap any image to view credits and license.