Jupiter's Moon Europa Might Be Covered With Irradiated Sea Salt, Researchers Say
Europa, Jupiter's moon looks beautiful in pictures - its round surface crossed by thick red lines, which according to scientists could be sea salt. The conclusion comes after researchers from NASA checked the consistency of the darker material traversing the surface of the celestial body.
Sea salt is a hint that shows the moon's surface interacts with the ocean's rocky seafloor, Apex Tribune noted.
The moon is immersed in radiation coming from Jupiter's magnetic field. Electrons and ions stick into the moon's surface with a great intensity.
"If it's just salt from the ocean below, that would be a simple and elegant solution for what the dark, mysterious material is," said research lead Kevin Hand, a planetary scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California.
"We call it our 'Europa in a can,'" Hand said. "The lab setup mimics conditions on Europa's surface in terms of temperature, pressure and radiation exposure. The spectra of these materials can then be compared to those collected by spacecraft and telescopes."
Researchers will continue the investigations to see if the icy moon can extend support to human life.
The study was published online in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.
