A team led by the Southwest Research Institute used space
“We got much better coverage.and resolution than previous observations,” said Philippa Molyneux, co-author of the paper. — Most of the sulfur dioxide is found in one part of Europe. It is most likely concentrated there because Jupiter's unidirectional magnetic field traps sulfur particles erupted by Io's volcanoes and throws them toward Europa." Jupiter's magnetic field can cause chemical reactions between water ice and sulfur, resulting in the formation of sulfur dioxide on Europa's surface.
Scientists used the Hubble telescope tophotograph the surface of Jupiter's fourth-largest moon Europa (shown at the bottom right of this composite image) at ultraviolet wavelengths, mapping the sulfur dioxide concentrations on its surface. They probably came from Io (above).
Photo: NASA
Astrophysicists will continue these studies usingultraviolet spectrograph Europa-UVS. It will observe Jupiter's fourth-largest moon from NASA's Europa Clipper, scheduled to launch in 2024.
Scientists are almost sure that under the iceThe surface of this moon hides a salty ocean. It contains almost twice as much water as all of Earth's oceans. Europa may also be the most promising place in the solar system for the search for extraterrestrial life.
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