Jupiter's Moon Europa
- neeannmarie
- Feb 13
- 1 min read
This week we are focusing on Jupiter and two of it's moons, Io and Europa.
Io holds the title of the most volcanically active body in our solar system. Before Voyager 1's flyby near Io on March 5, 1979, the moon was thought to be a barren world akin to our Moon. By 2024, predictions based on these observations suggest that there could be as many as 400 of these volcanoes.
In 2001, the Galileo spacecraft observed a plume that rose at least 500 kilometers (310 miles) above the surface.
In 1979 the large umbrella shaped volcanic plume was first thought to be another moon behind Europa.
Io's main source of internal heat comes from the tidal forces generated by Jupiter's gravitational pull. This external heating differs from the internal heat source for volcanism on Earth, which is a result of radioactive isotope decay and residual heat from accretion.
Jupiter's moon Europa is considered one of the most promising places in our solar system to find life beyond Earth. It has liquid water, carbon-based molecules, and energy input, which are the main ingredients for life.
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