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Laboratory experiments have recreated the surface of Europa, one of Jupiter’s four large moons, with a surprising result: Europa glows in the dark. While we typically see the Earth side of Europe, this new study shows what this world might look like on the other side.
This discovery is more than an interesting fact about the Solar System: it reveals the secrets of the enigmatic moon.
Europe on the rocks
The frozen surface of Europa is rich in salt, including magnesium sulfate (Epsom salt) and sodium chloride (common table salt). Each type of mineral radiates specific wavelengths of light when it releases energy. These studies found that salts within the Jovian moon’s frozen crust can glow in the dark.
Europa is one of the aquatic worlds of our solar system, which contains a vast ocean beneath its frozen surface.
“[E]Europe’s ice shell is 10 to 15 miles (15 to 25 kilometers) thick and floats on an ocean 40 to 100 miles (60 to 150 kilometers) deep. So while Europa is only a quarter of the diameter of the Earth, its ocean can hold twice as much water as all Earth’s oceans combined, “describes NASA.
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The gravitational forces between Europa, Jupiter and his companions Io and Ganymede create cracks in the frozen surface. In places, this ocean rises through these cracks in the ice. Therefore, by studying the outer surface of the ice, it is possible to learn about the hidden oceans of Europa.
Rock, rave and roll
The radiation from Jupiter increases the energy levels of the salt molecules as the moon makes its way through the planetary system. When these molecules relax, this energy is released as visible light.
“These high-energy charged particles, including electrons, interact with the surface rich in ice and salt, resulting in complex physical and chemical processes,” describe the researchers in Nature Astronomy.
As seen by the human eye, Europa’s surface would emit green, blue and white light, depending on the types of light they emit salt. The ice glowed brighter with a green light similar to a typical green screen used in film and video studios (included Astronomy news with The Cosmic Companion).
Higher concentrations of Epsom salt increased the amount of energy released inside the ice, while sodium chloride and carbonate had the opposite effect.
As Europa orbits Jupiter, this tiny moon (slightly smaller than our planetary companion) is bathed in high-energy radiation, including electrons.
When these electrons fall to the surface of the frozen moon, the incoming energy is released in the form of light, creating conditions where Europa glows in the dark.
“If Europe weren’t under this radiation, it would have the appearance of our moon to us – dark on the shadow side,” Gudipati said. “But because it’s bombarded with radiation from Jupiter, it glows in the dark,” explained Murthy Gudipati of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).
The JPL team built a unique tool – the Ice Chamber for Europe’s High-Energy Electron and Radiation Environment Testing (ICE-HEART) – to examine how organic material in a simulated Europa environment would react to radiation.
This discovery was fortunate for the researchers.
“Seeing the sodium chloride brine with a significantly lower glow level was the ‘aha’ moment that changed the course of the research,” said Fred Bateman, co-author of a journal article describing the study.
Sailing the alien seas
In the video above, take a look at NASA’s upcoming Europa Clipper mission to explore an alien ocean in detail for the first time. (Video credit: NASA / JPL)
“Man cannot discover new oceans if he does not have the courage to lose sight of the shore.” – Andre Gide
The Europa Clipper, NASA’s upcoming flagship mission to explore the Jovian aquatic world, is slated to launch in the mid-2020s. This spacecraft will survey Europa during multiple flybys of the enigmatic moon.
Investigators are closely examining the capabilities of the instruments aboard the spacecraft to see how this study could help exploration of Europa’s ice surface mission.
On board the spacecraft, the Europa Clipper wide-angle camera could collect a significant amount of data on the salt concentrations on the icy moon.
This camera, which uses a 4k x 2k CMOS detector, has a field of view of 48 by 24 degrees. From an altitude of 50 kilometers above Europe, details of just 11 meters in diameter will be seen as a single pixel.
It may even be possible to take pictures of the “night side” of Europa, glowing in the dark.
This study focused on Europa, but the results could also be applicable to other large bodies in high-radiation environments, including Io and Ganymede in the Jovian system.
Europe is one of the most likely places in our solar system to find life. If any life form is found on Europa, no matter how primitive, the discovery would signal that life is likely to form on worlds throughout the Cosmos.
This article was originally published on The cosmic companion of James Maynard, founder and editor of The Cosmic Companion. He is a New England native turned desert mouse in Tucson, where he lives with his lovely wife, Nicole, and Max the Cat. You can read this original piece here.
Astronomy news with The Cosmic Companion it is also available as a weekly podcast, broadcast by all major podcast providers. Tune in every Tuesday for updates on the latest astronomy news and interviews with astronomers and other researchers working to uncover the nature of the Universe.
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