Jupiter moon 'could be a habitat for life'
SHIFTING poles on one of Jupiter's moons strongly suggest the presence of a global ice-covered ocean, it was revealed yesterday.
The discovery of "wandering poles" on Europa provides further evidence of a liquid ocean beneath an icy crust.
Many scientists believe the hidden ocean, warmed by tidal forces from Jupiter's powerful gravity, may provide a suitable habitat for life.
Europa, slightly smaller than the Earth's moon, has a number of unexplained surface features pointing to a turbulent geological history.
One example is two groups of broad troughs and depressions at diametrically opposite locations on Europa's surface.
Images from three spacecraft, Voyager, Galileo and New Horizons, show several arc-shaped depressions extending more than 500 kilometres.
Scientists writing in the journal Nature said these were just the sort of patterns that would be expected to result from stresses caused by wandering poles.
Email to a friend
Print this page- Scottish independence: I don’t want ‘separatism’ says Sir Tom Farmer
- Police investigate death of man, 31, on West Highland Way
- The Rumour Mill: Monday’s football news and gossip
- Leveson inquiry: Tony Blair defends links with Rupert Murdoch
- Abu Qatada case stalls again but Olympics mean he must stay in prison
- Scottish independence: I don’t want ‘separatism’ says Sir Tom Farmer
- The Rumour Mill: Monday’s football news and gossip
- Craig Levein insists Scotland will recover from US thrashing
- James McPake set for Coventry talks as Hibs wait in wings
- Scottish independence: Labour voters ‘will deliver independence’
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Edinburgh
Tuesday 29 May 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 9 C to 14 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 9 C to 15 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North east
