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Europa Clipper

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Hidden Edge of a Solar Eruption Unmasks Gaps in Space-Weather Forecasts
space6 days ago

Hidden Edge of a Solar Eruption Unmasks Gaps in Space-Weather Forecasts

NASA’s Europa Clipper detected an unusual, hotter-and-sparser solar wind during a routine instrument check, traced to a complex, irregular coronal mass ejection (CME) from the Sun. Using data from 17 spacecraft, scientists mapped the CME’s distorted shape and found a component headed toward Earth that wasn’t visible from Earth’s view, revealing a blind spot in space-weather forecasting. The finding underscores the need for out-of-ecliptic observations to better shield future crewed missions from solar radiation.

via Gizmodo|
#coronal-mass-ejections#europa-clipper#heliophysics
Europa Clipper Heads to Jupiter to Probe a Hidden Ocean
space20 days ago

Europa Clipper Heads to Jupiter to Probe a Hidden Ocean

NASA’s Europa Clipper, launched in 2024, is on a 1.8-billion-mile journey to Jupiter to perform 49 close flybys of the icy moon Europa in order to study its suspected subsurface ocean and assess habitability. The mission won’t drill or directly detect life; instead it will use ice-penetrating radar, a magnetometer, cameras and other instruments to map the ice shell, estimate ocean depth and salinity, and search for potential plumes, guiding future life-detection missions. The voyage relies on gravity assists from Mars and Earth to reach Jupiter by 2030, with a broad science campaign beginning after arrival in 2031.

via Space Daily|
#europa-clipper#europa-ocean#gravity-assist
Europa’s Hidden Ocean May Not Reveal Itself in Surface Plumes
space23 days ago

Europa’s Hidden Ocean May Not Reveal Itself in Surface Plumes

New computer simulations suggest Europa’s icy crust is a formidable barrier: liquid water rising through fractures would churn and rapidly cool, likely freezing into frazil ice before reaching near-surface depths. Therefore, shallow liquid pockets seen by the Europa Clipper (arriving around 2030) may reflect local ice melting rather than direct upwellings from the deep ocean, affecting how scientists interpret potential habitability signals and where to look for clues during future missions (also relevant to JUICE).

via Space|
#astrobiology#europa#europa-clipper
Europa's Hidden Ocean Could Surpass Earth's Seas, Fueled by Jupiter's Tidal Rhythm
science25 days ago

Europa's Hidden Ocean Could Surpass Earth's Seas, Fueled by Jupiter's Tidal Rhythm

Europa, though smaller than Earth’s Moon, may hide a global ocean tens to about 150 km deep beneath an ice shell and could contain more liquid water than all Earth's oceans; the ocean remains liquid due to tidal heating from Jupiter, amplified by the Io–Europa–Ganymede Laplace resonance, plus radiogenic heat and an insulating ice shell. Evidence comes from magnetic induction data and surface geology, and NASA’s Europa Clipper (launched 2024) will fly by 49 times to measure ice thickness, ocean depth, salinity, and possible chemical gradients to assess habitability.

via Space Daily|
#europa#europa-clipper#laplace-resonance
Europa's Buried Ocean: Galileo’s Point Sparks a Vast Subsurface Sea
science1 month ago

Europa's Buried Ocean: Galileo’s Point Sparks a Vast Subsurface Sea

From Galileo's 1610 sighting of a tiny moon near Jupiter, scientists now consider Europa to host a global salty ocean buried under kilometers of ice, potentially larger than Earth's oceans. Magnetic data and surface geology suggest a 60–150 km-deep ocean under a 15–25 km ice shell, but no direct samples exist yet. NASA's Europa Clipper will study the ice shell, ocean, and chemistry to assess habitability without drilling through the ice or directly seeking life.

via Space Daily|
#europa#europa-clipper#ice-shell
Europa plume claims lose steam after reanalysis
space3 months ago

Europa plume claims lose steam after reanalysis

A 14-year reanalysis of Hubble data casts doubt on Europa’s previously claimed water vapor plumes, lowering confidence from about 99.9% to under 90% and suggesting the earlier detections may have been due to data placement noise; the team says plumes can’t be ruled out, but the question may be settled by NASA’s Europa Clipper mission expected to arrive in 2030.

via Space|
#europa#europa-clipper#hubble-space-telescope
Track Four Legendary Probes Across January’s Night Sky
stargazing7 months ago

Track Four Legendary Probes Across January’s Night Sky

Space.com guides readers to spot four legendary spacecraft—James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), Europa Clipper, JUICE, and Voyager 1—in January’s night sky, with finder charts and timing tips (including JWST’s path from Orion toward Jupiter and the planet’s January opposition). The piece also suggests using timeanddate or stargazing apps (Starry Night, Stellarium) for precise rise/set times and locations, and adds bonus targets around Orion’s Belt and the Orion Nebula.

via Space|
#europa-clipper#juice#jwst
Mysterious Spider-Like Formations on Europa and Jupiter Spark Alien Life Theories
science8 months ago

Mysterious Spider-Like Formations on Europa and Jupiter Spark Alien Life Theories

Scientists have proposed that the mysterious spider-like feature observed on Europa's surface, initially thought to be a structure within a crater, may have formed through processes similar to Earth's lake stars, but likely resulted from an asteroid impact that created cracks allowing salty water to seep through, providing insights into Europa's subsurface and potential signs of extraterrestrial life.

via Live Science|
#asteroid-impact#damhan-alla#europa