Ahead of NASA's mission, James Webb telescope finds cues of a liquid water ocean under Europa's surface
Now, new observations from the James Webb Telescope (JWST) are revealing that Europa, which was often pictured as a still, silent shell actually has an active surface. In a series of experiments conducted by Southwest Research Institute, it was found that Europa's surface ice is crystallising at different rates in different places. This suggests that the planet is currently undergoing geologic activity, with scientists labelling the ongoing cycle between the subsurface and surface as 'chaos terrains'.
The study focused on two regions located in Europa's southern hemisphere – Tar Regio and Powys Regio, with the latter often referred to as one of the most intriguing areas on the moon's surface. In these locations, the James Webb Telescope found crystallised ice both on the surface and below it.
The experiments were crucial for scientists to understand how the ice transforms between different states. The result of these experiments, when combined with the newly received data from the James Webb Telescope, hints that Europa's subsurface may be hiding a huge liquid ocean beneath the surface.
Scientists also found some clues that Europa may have Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and hydrogen peroxide. Upon further evaluation, it was found that CO2 on Europa's surface is unstable due to the moon's radioactive environment, which suggests that these geological processes were recent.
Ujjwal Raut, a program manager at the Southwest Research Institute and the co-author of the study, said that the 'data showed strong indications that what we are seeing must be sourced from the interior, perhaps from a subsurface ocean nearly 20 miles (30 kilometers) beneath Europa's thick icy shell. The evidence for a liquid ocean underneath Europa's icy shell is mounting, which makes this so exciting as we continue to learn more.'
In October last year, NASA launched Europa Clipper, a spacecraft that will explore Europa to determine if its underground ocean is habitable. However, the spacecraft will first head towards Mars and take around five and a half years to reach Jupiter's icy moon.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NDTV
an hour ago
- NDTV
Baba Vanga's "Alien" Prediction For 2025: Here's Why Some Believe It's Coming True
Baba Vanga, a late Bulgarian clairvoyant who passed away over a quarter of a century ago, remains an active trend on social media because of her predictions. Her name was trending recently due to an alien-linked prediction she made for the year 2025. Baba Vanga has made a series of ominous predictions for 2025, most of which somehow end up in some kind of mass destruction and deaths. The mystic predicted that "aliens" would visit Earth in 2025. The prediction has created a buzz on social media, and some users believe that the prophecy is coming true with the discovery of a mysterious object, 3I/ATLAS, which is hurtling towards Earth. As per reports, Vanga warned: "Humanity will make contact with extraterrestrial life, possibly leading to a global crisis or apocalypse." The mysterious object, 3I/ATLAS, is reportedly moving at 1.3 lakh miles per hour. It is estimated to be 10-20 kilometres in size, roughly the size of a large city like Manhattan. Scientists detected 3I/ATLAS using a telescope in Chile, and its speed and trajectory have sparked interest in its origins and potential threat to Earth. Is It An Alien Spacecraft? Some scientists, including Harvard's Professor Avi Loeb, have claimed that 3I/ATLAS could be an alien spacecraft due to its unusual characteristics. Meanwhile, others say that it might be an asteroid or comet. NASA said that comet 3I/ATLAS is the third known object from outside our solar system to be discovered. The object has been categorised by astronomers as interstellar because of the hyperbolic shape of its orbital path. It does not follow a closed orbital path about the Sun. The space agency said that 3I/ATLAS will reach its closest point to the Sun around October 30, 2025, at a distance of about 130 million miles (210 million kilometres). It will remain just inside the orbit of Mars. According to reports, 3I/ATLAS is expected to approach Earth in November 2025, but NASA said that it poses no threat to Earth and will remain far away. Who Was Baba Vanga? Baba Vanga was known for her alleged prophetic abilities and accurate predictions, including the Chernobyl disaster and the 9/11 attacks.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
New space race: Acting Nasa chief Duffy to announce plan for building nuclear reactor on moon this week- Here's what we know
US transportation secretary Sean Duffy is set to reveal accelerated plans for constructing a lunar nuclear reactor this week, marking his first significant initiative as Nasa 's interim administrator. According to documents reviewed by POLITICO, this announcement will establish a clearer timeline for the lunar reactor project, despite Nasa facing substantial budget reductions. This initiative demonstrates Duffy's intention to influence Nasa's policy direction, even as he faced criticism for managing dual roles. "It is about winning the second space race," said a Nasa senior official, granted anonymity to discuss the documents ahead of their wider release. Following a disagreement with Tesla CEO Elon Musk in July, President Donald Trump appointed Duffy after withdrawing billionaire Jared Isaacman's nomination. Duffy has also issued instructions to expedite the International Space Station's replacement. These decisions could enhance American progress towards lunar and Martian missions, objectives that China is also pursuing. These initiatives reflect the Trump administration's emphasis on human spaceflight. The White House's 2026 budget proposal increases funding for crewed missions whilst significantly reducing other programmes, including a nearly 50 per cent reduction in science mission funding. The reactor initiative requires Nasa to request industry proposals for a 100 kilowatt nuclear reactor, targeting a 2030 launch date, crucial for lunar astronaut missions. Previously, Nasa funded research for a 40 kilowatt lunar reactor, planning deployment in the early 2030s. The directive warns that the first nation to establish a reactor could "declare a keep-out zone which would significantly inhibit the United States," reflecting concerns about a China-Russia collaborative project. Nasa must appoint a project leader and gather industry feedback within 60 days. The 2030 launch target aligns with China's planned first lunar landing. Nasa maintains involvement in nuclear development despite the Pentagon's recent termination of a joint nuclear-powered rocket engine programme. "While the budget did not prioritise nuclear propulsion, that wasn't because nuclear propulsion is seen as a non-worthy technology," the Nasa official stated. The space station directive seeks to replace the current International Space Station with commercial alternatives through revised contract procedures. Nasa intends to award contracts to at least two companies within six months of the proposal request. The goal is to establish a new station by 2030, preventing China from being the sole operator of a crewed orbital station. Several companies, including Axiom Space, Vast, and Blue Origin, have shown interest. However, legislators have expressed worry about insufficient funding allocation speed.
Hindustan Times
3 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Nuclear reactor on moon? How much NASA chief's plan could cost US
The Donald Trump government is amping up the space race with acting NASA chief, Sean Duffy, expected to announce plans to build a nuclear reactor on the moon. The NASA chief plans to instruct the space agency to seek proposals for a 100-kilowatt nuclear reactor for the moon that would be ready for launch by 2030. Image for representation(Unsplash) Duffy's internal memo went out on Monday, New York Post reported. Notably, NASA has already explored the possibility of installing an electricity-generating nuclear reactor on the moon's surface, so as to power sustained human presence. However, the current NASA chief wants to fast-track this project and more than double the output of the reactor. What does the memo say? Duffy, in the memo, wrote 'To properly advance this critical technology to be able to support a future lunar economy, high power energy generation on Mars, and to strengthen our national security in space, it is imperative the agency move quickly.' Now, the directive will instruct NASA to seek proposals for a 100-kilowatt nuclear reactor that would be ready for launch by 2030. Duffy added that if a nation like Russia or China were to build a reactor on the moon first, it could 'declare a keep-out zone which would significantly inhibit the United States.' Also Read | NASA's portable nuclear reactor could power missions to Mars As per Duffy's memo, NASA is to appoint a leader for the reactor project and get the input of the private industry within 60 days. NASA also plans to look for private spaceflight companies capable of getting the reactor to the moon by 2030. So, how much will all this cost the US government? Cost of building a nuclear reactor on the moon While the exact cost of building a nuclear reactor on the moon is not known yet, it would easily be in the billions. NASA already awarded three $5 million contracts in 2022, as it tasked each commercial partner with developing an initial design that included the reactor; its power conversion, heat rejection, and power management and distribution systems; estimated costs; and a development schedule for the reactor that would be on the moon. While this was just an initial payout, a look at how much the Rolls Royce project to build a space-suitable reactor costs, would give a better idea of expenses. The Rolls-Royce NSIP will have a total project cost of $11.7 million, as per Interesting Engineering. However, there are also operating and maintenance costs involved in this as the World Nuclear Association notes, though their observations are about nuclear reactors on earth. NASA's plan to put a nuclear reactor on the moon is part of the larger Artemis project, which has an estimated cost of around $93 billion, as per LiveScience.
