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There Could Be Massive Shards of Ice Sticking Out of Jupiter's Moon Europa (sciencealert.com)

According to a report published in the journal Nature Geoscience, Jupiter's Moon Europa may be home to a forest of tall, jagged ice spikes, which may complicate future missions looking for possible alien microbes. ScienceAlert reports: Few moons in the Solar System are as intriguing as Jupiter's moon Europa. A global ocean of salt water almost certainly surrounds the moon - and it holds more water than any ocean on Earth. Above this immense sea, where surface temperatures dip to minus 300 degrees Fahrenheit (-184 degrees Celsius), a crust of water ice forms a shell. Astronomers predict that Jupiter, which bombards the moon with intense radiation, causes the entire moon to groan with gravity's tug. Europa's liquid water is a tempting target for future missions looking for possible alien microbes. But before a future lander can search for microscopic ET, the probe might have to contend with a forest of tall, jagged ice spikes. Their research suggests Europa is an icy hedgehog world, covered in ice formations rarely found on Earth. On our planet, ice takes several forms, as varied as needle ice, rime, parking lot slush and more exotic lumps.

4 of 63 comments (clear)

  1. Except Europa by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Attempt no landings there.

    1. Re:Except Europa by Hognoxious · · Score: 4, Funny

      Europe _spins_, with a period of roughly 3.55 Earth days.

      Don't believe everything Nigel Farage says.

      --
      Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
  2. LOL .. almost best headline ever ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Why oh why couldn't it be "Massive Shards of Ice Sticking Out of Uranus". :-P

    1. Re:LOL .. almost best headline ever ... by stealth_finger · · Score: 4, Funny

      Because Uranus is too gassy XD

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