Icy moon of Jupiter covered with sharp 15-meter spikes
Source:The Satellite of the gas giant Jupiter Europe is of great scientific interest. Under the icy crust of the moon is a vast ocean in which water can be even more than any earthly. Water availability is one of the indicators of the possible presence of life. Scientists have been looking to Europe and thinking about how to drop some research unit. But, apparently, will make it even more difficult than previously thought. According to the findings of a new study by planetary scientists published in the journal Nature Geoscience, the surface of Europe is covered with sharp ice spikes, which will significantly hinder the landing.
In the new work, scientists have modeled how on the surface of Europa are formed ice structures. The researchers argue that the satellite is covered with forest of the ice needles, which reaches a height of 15 meters. They are formed as a result of sublimation process in which ice turns directly into water vapor, bypassing the liquid phase. For their formation requires special conditions: a lot of light and very cold, dry environment with no air movement.
This training is, and on the Ground — they're called Calasparra or "penitent snow", and are found in dry and cold highlands of the Andes. Originally appearing unevenness on the surface of the ice work as a positive feedback — deepening turn out a little darker, more efficiently absorb light and melt faster, while the bulges remain bright and reflects most of the radiation. As a result, generated a high and thin ice elevation.
Small Calasparra in the Atacama desert (Mexico). On the surface of Europe there are similar structures, but they are much higher
According to the authors of the study, the conditions for the formation on the surface of Europa giant callaspo. First, the surface is a solid ice cap. Secondly, it is very cold (temperatures down to – 165 degrees Celsius). In combination with other factors, creates an ideal environment for sublimation.
Scientists say that directly Calasparra in Europe, they have not seen (the quality of the photos the surface of the satellite orbit is not enough for them to see), however, their presence telling circumstantial evidence.
Using previously collected observation data, the researchers calculated the level of sublimation in different regions of the surface of Europe, which allowed to establish the size and distribution of Kolhapur. Taking into account the various processes of erosion in Europe, such as the fall of small meteorites and radiation of charged particles, astronomers with their models predict that the height of these objects can be 15 meters, and they can be located approximately 7 metres from each other. But researchers note that, most likely, these objects are found in the Equatorial regions of Europe. The presence of Kolhapur can confirm the energy anomalies that scientists have observed earlier during studies of the moon's surface with radar.
The Researchers note that to confirm the presence of Kolhapur on the surface, Europy need new observations using more modern scientific instruments. Fortunately, this possibility can indeed be pretty soon. Space Agency NASA is developing the Europa Clipper mission, whose launch should take place sometime between 2022 and 2025.
The Orbiter, equipped with the latest tools will be able to approach the surface of the satellite at a height of 25 kilometers and from there to look for Calasparra. It is expected that the overall results of the mission Europa Clipper will be the starting point for the preparation of a future mission to land a spacecraft on the surface of Europa. This device will be able to drill the ice surface of the satellite to peer into a dark ice-world of the ocean. However, the presence of spines on the surface significantly complicate this task, unless you take into account the very technical complexity of such a mission.
To Discuss the study .
Recommended
The Americans on the moon: what everyone should know?
the Upcoming cosmonautics day is my favorite holiday. It marks the triumph of the human mind: in just four thousand years Homo Sapiens went from hunter-gatherers to space explorers. 12 April 1961 Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first man in ...
Why are some galaxies spiral shaped?
you Know what surprised me the most? The fact that we perceive the surrounding world as it is. Animals, plants, the laws of physics and the cosmos are perceived by many people as something so mundane and boring that they invent fairies, ghosts, monst...
Astronomers were able to see the death of another star system
In the cosmic ocean drifts a lot of mysteries about the existence of which we are unaware. One of these was uncovered five years ago, when astronomers have discovered a lonely star at a distance of 570 light years from Earth, the brightness of which ...
Related News
The head of Virgin Galactic in the next few months will fly into space
Virgin Galactic, the Company aimed at the market of space tourism services, is getting closer to its cherished goal. In a recent interview with CNBC, the CEO, British billionaire Richard Branson said that Virgin Galactic is "very ...
On the moon will send a time capsule with information encoded in DNA
Repeatedly mankind has sent information about their civilization into space. Cost to recall famous gold-plated disc attached to the hull of Voyager, with a series of sound and video messages or records of spacecrafts "pioneer". A...
The probe "Voyager-2" reached the border of the Solar system
the Space probe "Voyager-2", moving towards interstellar space, recorded an increase of energy background cosmic rays, according to the NASA website. The machine, launched into space in 1977, is now about 17.7 billion kilometers f...
SpaceX first successful landing of a Falcon 9 rocket on the coast of California
Yesterday evening, SpaceX launched a reusable Falcon 9 rocket from California, and then to carry out one of the most iconic landings in the history of the missiles of the company. This time SpaceX was planning to land the carrier ...
These two puzzles to be solved in order to find life on Mars
In June, NASA revealed two mind-blowing fact: Mars has organic matter, and the level of methane in the planet's atmosphere changes with time. This is an amazing news that shook our understanding of astrobiology. And although they ...
Boeing could Finance the campaign against SpaceX
Yes, Boeing and SpaceX both are working to get space to display the American missiles of its own production. Yes, they are not partners, but competitors who are fighting for the most important contracts of the 21st century. They a...
In Europe, construction began on the hunter of exoplanets "Plato"
the development of the ESA PLATO mission, which will consist in the search and study of planets outside our Solar system, will address the German OHB System AG. The project comes into full industrial phase. This was announced at t...
Blue Origin has begun to develop a lunar lander
Amazon Founder, CEO of Blue Origin, and part-time richest man in the world Jeff Bezos hot and heavy with the ideas of sending spacecraft to the moon and colonize space. The publisher of Business Insider, which has got a letter fro...
Experiments with the LHC may compress the earth to the size of a football field, astronomers warn
Martin Rees, the distinguished English cosmologist, made a very bold statement on the topic of particle accelerators: there is a small but real possibility of disaster. Particle accelerators like the Large hadron Collider shoots p...
The Rover "Curiosity" has replaced "brains"
Engineers at the jet propulsion Laboratory (JPL) of NASA, manages the space mission Curiosity Rover, was transferred all the control electronics of the Rover on the second-Board computer, informs the official website of NASA. The ...
Lockheed Martin has introduced the concept of the lunar landing module for the station Gateway
during the 69-th International Astronautical Congress Lockheed Martin provided a detailed description of the concept of a manned spacecraft designed for landing on the moon and carry astronauts back to the lunar orbital station Ga...
On the surface of the asteroid Ryugu successfully landed the third apparatus
Japanese space probe "Hayabusa-2" successfully landed on the surface of a 900-foot asteroid Ryugu third spacecraft – lander MASCOT (Mobile Asteroid Surface Scout). The device has already started working, reported on the website of...
10 facts that make Mars like Earth
Earth and Mars have much in common. Both plans have a similar landscape, but on Mars there is a shortage of water, oxygen and atmospheric pressure, necessary to sustain life on earth. In comparison with our planet Mars has smaller...
NASA again was "put to sleep" spacecraft "Kepler" for new problems
NASA has repeatedly "buried" the space telescope "Kepler". In July it was announced that , because of what it is a month into sleep mode. In August NASA that the device is still in working condition and continues the search for ex...
NASA has announced its plans to explore the moon and Mars
the U.S. National Aeronautics and space administration (NASA) has developed and introduced a new plan for the conquest of outer space in the coming decades. In addition to some key missions related to the work in earth orbit, the ...
Whales and aliens: the extraterrestrial structure of a language can be unknown
"If aliens had landed from outer space and spoke a language that violates universal grammar, we simply would not be able to learn their language as teaching English or Swahili. We are by nature designed for English, Chinese and ot...
UCF sells experimental Martian soil
University of Central Florida is selling the Martian dust at $ 20 per kilogram (about 1300 rubles) plus shipping. And this is no joke. The fact that a group of astrophysicists from the University has developed a scientifically bas...
Blue Origin Jeff Bezos will do engines for missiles Vulcan. The Russian RD-180 is no longer needed
Blue Origin, the aerospace company created by the founder Amazon.com Jeff Bezosa, won the contract to supply engines for a massive rocket Vulcan, which makes the United Launch Alliance. Although Blue Origin is considered the most ...
Interstellar guest Moimoi arrived with one of the four nearest stars
last year, astronomers discovered an object that came to us with the other stars. For many eras and millennia in our humble Solar system was definitely a lot of interstellar visitors, but this was the first that we found. Moimoi i...
Martian moon could occur from a collision with his home planet
Strange shapes and colors of the tiny Martian satellites Phobos and Deimos led scientists to think about their origin. The dark faces of these moons resemble primitive asteroids of the outer Solar system, allowing to assume that t...
Comments (0)
This article has no comment, be the first!