4Europa

​  =Europa = 

​ =Quick Facts =


 * Europa is the smoothest body in the solar system
 * Europa is one of the four Galilean moons.
 * Europa's surface is made up of ice and water
 * Interior heat is caused by tidal heating
 * Found by Galileo in 1610
 * Europa may have life on it
 * There is an ocean under Europa's sea of ice
 * Europa is the only body, other than earth, in our solar system that may have life on it.

=Galilean Moons = There are Four Galilean moon. These moons are the four major moons of Jupiter. They range in sizes; three of them are larger than our moon,and the other moon Europa is slightly smaller than the earth's moon. The names of the four moons are: Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. Io is a volcanic moon; Europa is a ice covered moon; and Callisto and Ganymede are rocky cratered covered moons. The Galilean moons were discovered in January of 1610 by Galileo Galilee. When Galileo found these objects they were the only celestial objects that didn't rotate around the earth. These Galilean moons act as a miniature solar system that revolves around Jupiter.

 =​ Europa's Surface = Europa's surface is made up of ice. Many scientist believe that Europa has an ocean under the thick outer shell ice. They believe this because Europa surface is made up of huge blocks of ice, and these blocks of ice shift. The ice surface is 50-100 miles thick. Then the sea is another 50 miles. Europa is the only other celestial body other than earth that has an ocean of water. there are only three impact craters on the surface of Europa. Due to this we know that Europa's surface is very young. Also the physical features are very small in depth and height. The deepest valleys and mountains are only a few hundred yards high or deep. Europa's surface is the smoothest surface in the solar system. There is a possibility that there is life under Europa's surface.

=Europa's core and atmosphere =



Europa's core is a metallic Iron core. The outer core is made up an outer hard rocky substance, or it consits of an outer magnma core. This outer magma cor may be made up of molten rock; this would be very similar to the earth's core. Europa is the only moon in the solar system that has an atmosphere. The atmosphere is made up of charged oxygen and hydrogen particles. The atmosphere is very small. Europa is very strange because it is one of the only moon that genrates its own magnetic field.

=History = Galileo found Europa in January of 1610. He found europa with the other Galilean moons. It wasnt until 1995 that we learned most of the information that we know today about Europa. We descovered this information from the space probe Galileo. This probe was able to map out the surface of Europa. The probe orbited Jupiter from 1995-2003. Europa was named after the Greek God named Europa.

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= = = = = = = = = = =Web Links =


 * www.nasa.gov
 * www.hyperphysic.phy-aster.gsu.edu/hbase/solar/europa.html
 * www.nineplanets.org/europa.html

= = =Bibliography =
 * Elkins, Linda T.; Jupiter and Saturn; New York; Chelsea House; 2006
 * McKinnon, William B.; World Book; Chicago; World Book; 2006
 * Smith Yevette; www.Nasa.gov; April 4,2009