Jupiter’s moon Europa has discovered that it “glows in the dark” due to radiation

Jupiter’s moon Europa has two faces: one shines brightly and the other is shrouded in darkness, which is the far side of the lunar globe.

However, new data shows that the ocean beneath the moon’s icy surface on the opposite side could actually emit visible white light with green or blue tinges.

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) says the effect is the result of the frozen ocean being hit by constant radiation from Jupiter.

The team detonated a mixture of ice and salts, which were observed on Europa’s surface, with radiation similar to that of Jupiter, revealing that the moon “glows in the dark”.

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Jupiter’s moon Europa has two faces: one shines brightly and the other is shrouded in darkness, which is the far side of the lunar globe. However, new data shows that the ocean beneath the moon’s icy surface on the opposite side could actually emit visible white light with green or blue tinges.

Murthy Gudipati of JPL, lead author of the study, said: “If Europa weren’t under this radiation, it would look like our moon appears to us – dark on the shadow side.”

“But because it is bombarded with radiation from Jupiter, it glows in the dark.”

Gudipati and his team used a spectrometer to separate light into wavelengths and link distinct “signatures” to different ice compositions.

Most of the observations were made using sunlight reflected on the day side of the moon, but these new findings illuminate what Europe’s far side would look like in the dark.

Most of the observations were made using sunlight reflected on the day side of the moon, but these new findings illuminate what Europe’s far side would look like in the dark (artist illustration)

“We were able to predict that this nocturnal glare of ice could provide additional information on the composition of Europa’s surface,” said Gudipati.

“The way this composition varies could give us clues as to whether Europe offers conditions suitable for life.”

Europe is home to a huge ocean and by studying the surface, experts hope to find out if life hides in the vast body of water.

For this study, the team combined ice with a variety of different salts that have been observed on Europa, such as magnesium sulfate and sodium chloride, and detonated mixtures with Jupiter-like radiation, which have produced a luminous effect.

Bryana Henderson of JPL, co-author of the research, said: “When we tried new ice compositions, the glow looked different. And we just stared at it for a while and then we said, ‘This is new, right? definitely a different glow? ‘So we put a spectrometer on it and each type of ice had a different spectrum. “

The team used a spectrometer (pictured) to separate the light into wavelengths and link the distinct ‘signatures’ to different ice compositions. They combined the ice with a variety of different salts that were observed on Europa, such as magnesium sulfate and sodium chloride, and blew up the mixtures with Jupiter-like radiation, which produced a glowing effect.

NASA is set to launch its Europa Clipper mission in mid-2020, which will collect data on the moon’s surface during a series of flyovers in orbit around Jupiter. Although this mission is not set up to seek life, it will probe Europa (pictured) to see if it can accommodate life.

The Europa Surface Mockup was designed in the JPL Ice Chamber for Europe’s High Energy Electron and Radiation Environmental Testing (ICE-HEART).

And although the team had hoped to see a glow, they were surprised that the type of glow varied in different combinations, which research calls “serendipity.”

Fred Bateman, co-author of the article, said: “Seeing the sodium chloride brine with a significantly lower brightness level was the” aha “moment that changed the course of research.”

NASA is set to launch its Europa Clipper mission in mid-2020, which will collect data on the moon’s surface during a series of flyovers in orbit around Jupiter.

Although this mission is not set up to seek life, it will probe Europa to see if it can accommodate life.