Announcement alert! NASA is
preparing to give us some big news about Jupiter’s moon Europa, and it could
have some major implications for the search for life. On Monday May 14 at 1pm EDT
(5pm GMT), the agency will hold a briefing “to discuss the latest analysis of
Jupiter’s moon Europa and its status as one of the most promising places in the
solar system to search for life,” they said in a statement.
You’ll be able to watch it
live at quite a few places. They are (deep breath): NASA Television, Facebook
Live, Twitch TV, Ustream, YouTube, Twitter/Periscope, and also on NASA’s
website. You can ask questions during the event by tweeting #askNASA.
So what’s it all about?
Well, the information is embargoed at the moment, so we can’t reveal too much.
We can tell you now it is definitely not aliens though. Just getting that out
of the way nice and early. But it is about Europa.
Europa is of great interest
because, in 2022, NASA is planning to send a mission (giant new rocket
permitting) to study it in detail. Called the Europa Clipper, it will be placed
on a wide orbit around Jupiter and will swoop past Europa repeatedly on 45
flybys.
It’s thought this icy moon
has a hidden ocean deep beneath the surface, so the spacecraft will try to
prove it exists and work out some of its finer details. The mission may also
include a lander.
Back in 2016 we also learned
from the Hubble telescope that there are probably plumes erupting into space
from this ocean, similar to Saturn’s moon Enceladus. These plumes are very
useful, as they provide a way to sample the ocean without actually burying
under the ice.
“Europa has long been a high
priority for exploration because beneath its icy crust lies a salty, liquid
water ocean,” said NASA. “NASA’s Europa Clipper,
targeted to launch in 2022, will be equipped with the instruments necessary to
determine whether Europa possesses the ingredients necessary to support life as
we know it.”
So make sure you tune in on
Monday for what will be a very exciting announcement. Again, it is not alien
life – but it could be a step in that direction.
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