Ice geyser on Europa, illustration. Europa is the smallest of the four Galilean moons of Jupiter, and the second closest to the planet. Its surface is

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Ice geyser on Europa, illustration. Europa is the smallest of the four Galilean moons of Jupiter, and the second closest to the planet. Its surface is icy and relatively smooth. Impacting meteorites cause melting of the surface, allowing the water to smooth out before refreezing. There is some evidence of large-scale movements of the ice, possibly supported by a liquid mantle (dark blue) and driven by thermal processes within the moon (red arrows). Ice geysers have been seen on this moon, producing jets of water-rich material rising 200 kilometres into space.

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Size: 4961px × 3722px
Photo credit: © TIM BROWN/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: artwork, astronomical, astronomy, astrophysical, astrophysics, background, black, cryovolcanism, cut, cut-, cut-outs, cutaway, cutout, cutouts, diagram, erupting, europa, geological, geology, geyser, ice, illustration, jovian, moon, outs, planetary, science, solar, space, system