{"id":1305,"date":"2020-11-21T14:00:10","date_gmt":"2020-11-21T14:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/?p=1328741"},"modified":"2020-11-21T14:00:10","modified_gmt":"2020-11-21T14:00:10","slug":"jupiters-moon-europa-glows-in-the-dark-and-that-may-tell-us-whats-on-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/?p=1305","title":{"rendered":"Jupiter\u2019s moon Europa glows in the dark \u2014 and that may tell us what\u2019s on it"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Laboratory experiments have re-created the surface of Europa, one of the four large moons of Jupiter, with a surprising result \u2014 Europa glows in the dark. While we typically see the side of Europa facing Earth, this new study shows what this world might look like from its other side.<\/p>\n

This discovery is more than an interesting fact about the Solar System \u2014 it reveals secrets of the enigmatic moon.<\/p>\n

Europa on the rocks<\/h2>\n

The icy surface of Europa<\/a> is rich with salt, including magnesium sulfate (Epsom salt) and sodium chloride (common table salt). Each type of mineral radiates specific wavelengths of light when releasing energy. These studies found that salts within the icy crust of the Jovian moon can glow in the dark.<\/p>\n

Europa is one of the water worlds of our solar system, holding a vast ocean under its frozen surface.<\/p>\n

\u201c[E]uropa\u2019s ice shell is 10 to 15 miles (15 to 25 kilometers) thick, floating on an ocean 40 to 100 miles (60 to 150 kilometers) deep. So while Europa is only one-fourth the diameter of Earth, its ocean may contain twice as much water as all of Earth\u2019s oceans combined,\u201d NASA describes<\/a>.<\/p>\n

[Read: Neural\u2019s market outlook for artificial intelligence in 2021 and beyond<\/span><\/a>]<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Gravitational forces between Europa, Jupiter, and its companions Io and Ganymede create cracks in the frozen surface. In some places, this ocean<\/a> rises through these cracks in the ice. Therefore, by studying the outer surface of the ice, it is possible to learn about the hidden oceans of Europa.<\/p>\n

Rock, rave, and roll<\/h2>\n
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\"Image
<\/i><\/a>Europa, one of the four large moons of Jupiter, is home to vast salty oceans. Artist concept based on spacecraft data. Image credit: NASA\/JPL<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Radiation from Jupiter raises energy levels of salt molecules as the moon makes its way through the planetary system. When these molecules relax, this energy is released as visible light.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese high-energy charged particles, including electrons, interact with the ice- and salt-rich surface, resulting in complex physical and chemical processes,\u201d researchers describe in Nature Astronomy<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

As seen by the human eye, the surface of Europa would glow green, blue, and white, depending on the types of salt emitting light. The ice glowed strongest with green light similar to a typical green screen used in movie and video studios (including Astronomy News with The Cosmic Companion<\/em><\/a>).<\/p>\n

Higher concentrations of Epsom salt increased the amount of energy released within the ice, while sodium chloride and carbonate had the opposite effect.<\/p>\n

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<\/i><\/a>The Europa Clipper, seen in this artist\u2019s concept, will become the first spacecraft to examine an alien ocean in detail. Image credit: NASA\/JPL-Caltech<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

As Europa orbits Jupiter<\/a>, this tiny moon (slightly smaller than our own planetary companion) is bathed in high-energy radiation, including electrons.<\/p>\n

As these electrons fall upon the surface of the icy moon, the incoming energy is released in the form of light, creating conditions where Europa glows in the dark.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf Europa weren\u2019t under this radiation, it would look the way our moon looks to us \u2014 dark on the shadowed side,\u201d Gudipati said. \u201cBut because it\u2019s bombarded by the radiation from Jupiter, it glows in the dark,\u201d explained Murthy Gudipati<\/a> of Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).<\/p>\n

The JPL team built a unique instrument \u2014 the Ice Chamber for Europa\u2019s High-Energy Electron and Radiation Environment Testing (ICE-HEART) \u2014 to examine how organic material<\/a> in a simulated Europa environment would react to radiation.<\/p>\n

This discovery was a happy bit of serendipity for researchers.<\/p>\n

\u201cSeeing the sodium chloride brine with a significantly lower level of glow was the \u2018aha\u2019 moment that changed the course of the research,\u201d said Fred Bateman<\/a>, co-author of a journal article detailing the study.<\/p>\n

Sailing the Alien Seas<\/h2>\n