Like Io, this radiation is the result of solar radiation and energetic particles produced by Jupiter’s very strong magnetic field. Radiation levels on the surface of Europa are around 5400 mSv (540 rem) per day, a dose which would cause severe illness and death in a human being exposed for just one day. Radiation on Europa is high enough to kill a human being in one day. This reflectivity suggests a young and active surface to Europa of somewhere between 20 and 180 million years – much less than the moon itself with is around the same age as Jupiter, 4.5 billion years. The moon is one of the brightest objects in the solar system with an albedo (light reflectivity) of 0.64, one of the highest of all moons. Europa is about 4.5 billion years old but its surface is only 20 to 180 million years old. There are very few craters on the surface of the moon because it is tectonically active and relatively young. it lacks large features such as mountains or craters. The surface of Europa is made of frozen water and has the smoothest surface of any other objects in the solar system – i.e. Europa is the smoothest object in the solar system. She became the queen of Crete and had a number of children with Zeus. He took her to the island of Crete to be his lover. Europa was abducted by Zeus – the Greek counterpart for the Roman Jupiter – after the god of the skies transformed into a bull. The moon is named after a Phoenician noblewoman who became queen of Crete in Greek mythology.Įuropa was a noblewoman which the continent of Europe was named after. Before this, it was believed that the Earth was the centre of the solar system and the planets orbited around Earth. The discovery of these moons of Jupiter by Galileo is what eventually lead scientists to the understanding that the Sun was the centre of our solar system, with the planets orbiting around the almost stationary star. The discovery of Europa and the other Galilean moons lead to the discovery of a Sun-centred solar system. He was using a low-powered telescope and couldn’t actually distinguish Europa from the other Galilean moon Io until the next day. Size of Europa compared to Jupiter Side by side comparison of the size of Jupiter vs it’s moon Europa Facts about Europa Galileo may have discovered Europa on January 7 1610Įuropa was officially discovered on Janubut Galileo may have actually discovered the moon the day before. If this is proven to be true, Europa may be a promising place for life to exist beyond Earth. Even though it is the smallest of the Galilean moons, Europa is still the sixth largest of the 181 moons in the solar system.Įuropa is a frozen, icy world and is a unique object in the solar system – scientists believe that beneath the frozen layer of ice on Europa’s surface, there is a salt-water ocean in contact with a rocky seafloor. The other Galilean moons are Io, Ganymede and Callisto. Europa is the sixth closest moon of Jupiter and is the smallest of the Galilean moons discovered by Galileo.
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