NASA has refreshed its Europa Trek website, allowing users to explore the surface of Europa, one of Jupiter's moons, with new images and an engaging virtual tour. This update includes detailed insights into the moon's geological features.
The site showcases images captured by various NASA spacecraft, including Voyager 2, Galileo, and Juno. Currently, the Europa Clipper spacecraft is en route to Jupiter, with an estimated travel time of six years.
A notable feature on Europa's surface is the long, dark lines known as 'lineae,' which are massive cracks in the moon's crust. Some of these cracks remain active and are constantly shifting. Although Europa is approximately 4.5 billion years old, its surface is relatively young, ranging from 20 to 180 million years, due to ongoing geological activity.
Additionally, Europa's surface is characterized by a scarcity of impact craters, attributed to its youthful geology. Beneath its icy exterior lies a vast ocean, estimated to hold twice the amount of water found on Earth.
Interestingly, other celestial bodies, such as Miranda, a moon of Uranus, also possess subsurface oceans, although Miranda's ocean is now nearly frozen.