Jupiter’s moon, Europa, could glow in the dark
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Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system. Jupiter’s moon Europa is one out of its other 79 moons.
Its largest moon is Ganymede, which is the largest moon in the solar system (larger than the planet Mercury). Europa, which is about the same size as Earth’s Moon.
Recently, NASA has found that Europa might be glowing in the dark. The glow is related to the composition of Europa’s ice.
From Earth, we can see that our Moon shines because it reflects sunlight off its surface. However, Jupiter’s moon Europa has ice which is likely mixed with salts (like table salt). These salts combined with high-energy radiation from Jupiter makes the moon have a glow-in-the-dark effect.
How did scientists conduct the study?
Researchers at NASA built a special instrument called Ice Chamber for Europa’s High-Energy Electron and Radiation Environment Testing (Ice-Heart).
Experiments were conducted with Ice-Heart, which copied conditions on Europa. It showed how various ice-and-salt combinations gave out different glows.
To the naked eye, depending on the salt-and-ice combinations, the glow can look green sometimes or slightly blue or white. Its brightness also changes.
Apart from the above, Europa is also believed to have a hidden ocean under the ice, which could support life. So, NASA is planning to send the Europa Clipper spacecraft mission to study it by 2024. Perhaps by then, we may actually see photos of its glow.
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