BY: AJ Parker B2

Which Moon?
Europa is the sixth-closest moon to Jupiter
It is the smallest of Jupiters satellites, but
still the sixth-largest moon in the solar
system
Europa was discovered in 1610 by Galileo
Originally Europa and Io were thought to
be one point of light until the next day when
the two moons were seen as two separate
bodies.

Which Moon?
It was named after a Phoenician
noblewoman in Greek mythology, Europa,
who was courted by Zeus and became the
queen of Crete
The names of all four of Jupiters satellites
were derived from Greek mythology
The naming scheme was suggested by
Simon Marius
Simon Marius claimed to have discovered
the four satellites independently. Galileo
accused him of plagiarism

Which Moon?
Interestingly the names of the moons
were not used until the mid-20th century
Europa was originally thought to be the
second moon orbiting Jupiter. Until 1892
when Amalthea was discovered,
pushing Europa to the third position.
The Voyager probes discovered three
more inner satellites in 1979, pushing
Europa to the sixth position

Europa
Orbital period is 3.5 days
Like our moon, Europa always has one
hemisphere facing Jupiter
Europas gravitational pull is 1.32 meter
per second per second. Earths
gravitational pull is 9.8 meters per
second per second

Europa
Europa spins on its axis faster than it
orbits
This suggests an asymmetry in internal
mass distribution and that a layer of
subsurface liquid separates the icy crust
from the rocky interior

Europa
It is slightly smaller than our moon
Its diameter is 1,900 miles across
Europa is primarily made of silicate rock
and probably has a metallic iron core.
It is covered in ice and has a plate
tectonic system that shifts the ice
A liquid ocean resides beneath the icy
surface

Europa
The theory is that tidal flexing keeps the
ocean a liquid
Tidal flexing is the flexing of Europa by
the gravitational pull of Jupiter and Io
It keeps the core of Europa geologically
active and keeps the tectonic plate
system working

Europa
It is one of the smoothest objects in the
solar system
However on the equator it is theorized to
be covered in 10 meter tall icy spikes
called penitentes
This is caused by the effect of direct
overhead sunlight melting vertical cracks

Europa
There are few craters on the surface
because the surface is tectonically
active
The surface is 20-180 million years old
There is a very high radiation level at the
surface of Europa that would kill a
human being in one day of exposure

Europa
The atmosphere is composed mainly of
oxygen
The oxygen is created through radiolysis
The surface pressure is 10^-12 times
that of Earth
In 1997 the Galileo spacecraft confirmed
a ionosphere (an upper-atmospheric
layer of charged particles)

Bibliography
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europa_(moon)
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=eur
opa%20moon%20internal%20structure&qs
=n&form=QBIRMH&pq=europa%20moon%
20internal%20structure&sc=0-0&sp=1&sk=
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=eur
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