1Europa

Europa




 * Europa** is the sixth moon of the planet Jupiter. Europa was discovered in 1610 by Galileo Galilei (and possibly independently by Simon Marius), and named after a mythical Phoenician noblewoman, Europa, who was courted by Zeus and became the queen of Crete. It is the smallest of the four Galilean moons.

At just over 3,100 kilometers (1,900 mi) in diameter, Europa is slightly smaller than Earth's Moon and is the sixth-largest moon in the Solar System. Though by a wide margin the least massive of the Galilean satellites, its mass nonetheless significantly exceeds the combined mass of all moons in the Solar System smaller than itself. It is primarily made of silicate rock and likely has an iron core. It has a tenuous atmosphere composed primarily of oxygen. Its surface is composed of ice and is one of the smoothest in the Solar System. This young surface is striated by cracks and streaks, while craters are relatively infrequent. The apparent youth and smoothness of the surface have led to the hypothesis that a water ocean exists beneath it, which could conceivably serve as an abode for extraterrestrial life. Heat energy from tidal flexing ensures that the ocean remains liquid and drives geological activity.

Although only fly-by missions have visited the moon, the intriguing characteristics of Europa have led to several ambitious exploration proposals. The //Galileo// mission provided the bulk of current data on Europa. A new mission to Jupiter's icy moons, the Europa Jupiter System Mission (EJSM) is proposed for a launch in 2020. Conjecture on extraterrestrial life has ensured a high profile for the moon and has led to steady lobbying for future missions. (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europa_(moon))




 * ~ Europa Fact Chart ||
 * < Discovery ||> Jan 7, 1610 by Galileo Galilei ||
 * < Diameter (km) ||> 3,138 ||  ||
 * < Mass (kg) ||> 4.8e22 kg ||
 * < Mass (Earth = 1) ||> 0.0083021 ||
 * < Surface Gravity (Earth = 1) ||> 0.135 ||
 * < Mean Distance from Jupiter (km) ||> 670,900 ||
 * < Mean Distance From Jupiter (Rj) ||> 9.5 ||
 * < Mean Distance from Sun (AU) ||> 5.203 ||
 * < Orbital period (days) ||> 3.551181 ||
 * < Rotational period (days) ||> 3.551181 ||
 * < Density (gm/cm³) ||> 3.01 ||
 * < Orbit Eccentricity ||> 0.009 ||
 * < Orbit Inclination (degrees) ||> 0.470 ||
 * < Orbit Speed (km/sec) ||> 13.74 ||
 * < Escape velocity (km/sec) ||> 2.02 ||
 * < Visual Albedo ||> 0.64 ||
 * < Surface Composition ||> Water Ice ||

Quick Facts
 * Europa was discovered in 1610 by Galileo Galilee.
 * The Diameter of Europa is ~3100 km, slightly smaller than Earth's Moon.
 * Smallest of the Galilean Moons.
 * The surface of Europa is a thick layer of ice
 * Europa is the smoothest object in the Solar system.

Links-

 * ====[|Wikipedia]====
 * ====[|Nineplanets.org]====
 * ====[|Mythology]====
 * ====[|Nasa.gov]====