What is the main reason Europa is considered a prime target in the search for extraterrestrial life?
Answer
It hides a vast, salty ocean beneath a shell of ice
Europa is a prime target because beneath its icy surface lies a vast, salty ocean, suggesting conditions potentially suitable for hosting life.
#Videos
Ch. 13: Jupiter (24 of 37) Formation of the Jupiter's Galilean Moons
Related Questions
Who first observed the Galilean moons and in what year?What revolutionary astronomical concept did the discovery of Jupiter's orbiting moons strongly support?Which of the four Galilean moons is unique for being the largest in the solar system and possessing its own intrinsic magnetic field?What is the main reason Europa is considered a prime target in the search for extraterrestrial life?What name is given to the process described in the classic disk accretion model where material clumps, dust aggregates, and then planetesimals collide to form moons?What significant issue arising from rapid, *in situ* formation under the classic model is cited as a major hurdle?According to the slow formation hypothesis, what crucial event must be delayed or happen before the final assembly to avoid the moons being lost?What is the approximate water ice-to-rock ratio for Callisto's bulk composition?What current orbital configuration links the four Galilean moons, suggesting a gentle settling phase?How does the refractory (rocky) nature of Io contrast with the formation implication of the slow model?