NASA discovers possible water vapor on Europa

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Friday, September 30, 2016
NASA discovers possible water vapor on Europa
NASA has released images of the Hubble Space Telescope of what appears to be plumes of water vapor erupting on one of Jupiter's moons, according to AccuWeather.

NASA has released images of the Hubble Space Telescope of what appears to be plumes of water vapor erupting on one of Jupiter's moons, according to AccuWeather.



For years, astronomers believed that Europa, Jupiter's 4th largest moon, is one of the most promising worlds to harbor extraterrestrial life. They believe deep inside the moon's ice is an ocean with twice as much water as our own planet.



Observations show that these eruptions launched the water vapor plumes up to 125 miles into the air before raining back down on the surface. The plumes offer an opportunity for astronomers to send a probe to collect the vapor and analyze its composition rather than having to drill through Europa's thick sheet of ice.



If the water vapor is confirmed, Europa would be the second moon in our solar system to contain water vapor after Saturn's moon, Enceladus.

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