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Europa Clipper: Exploring Jupiter's Ocean World
About fifty close flybys of the moon will be carried out by NASA's Europa Clipper mission, which will collect precise data to examine if the moon may support life. Determining whether there are locations beneath Europa's surface that might host life is the primary scientific objective of Europa Clipper.
There may be a worldwide ocean beneath Europa's frozen surface that is larger than all of Earth's oceans put together, according to available data. Europa may possess some of the below life forming type of ingredients:
Organics: Vital chemical components derived from diverse sources
Water: Twice as much as the seas around Earth
Energy: Chemical energy sources from the surface and the sea floor
Stability: The continuation of the same circumstances for 4 billion years
Grade Level:6,7,9,10,11,12
Lesson Type:
Traditional
Relevant Standard:
PS3.D: Energy in Chemical Processes and Everyday Life
Objective:
What is the Composition of Europa?
Researchers will look at the ocean's makeup on Europa to see if it contains the elements needed for life to exist and thrive.
What are some of its Terrain Features?
Researchers will examine the formation process of Europa's surface features and search for evidence of current activity, such as plumes releasing water into space or moving crust plates.
How does the Ocean Interact With its Surface?
The goal of science is to ascertain the thickness of Europa's icy shell, which is the outermost layer of the moon that covers its surface. They will ascertain whether liquid water exists beneath and within the shell. The ocean surrounding Europa will be measured for size, salinity, and other characteristics. They will also ascertain the manner in which the ocean and the surface interact: Is there anything in the ocean that rises to the top through the shell? Is there any debris that falls into the ocean from the surface?
Learning Activities:
What Type of Instruments will Europa Clipper be using?
Imagers / Cameras
Europa Thermal Emission Imaging System (E-THEMIS)
In order to identify warmer areas of Europa where liquid water may be present or may have burst onto the surface, the thermal imager employs infrared light. In order to comprehend the surface's small-scale characteristics, it will also measure surface texture.
Europa Imaging System (EIS)
Using eight megapixel sensors, a wide-angle and narrow-angle camera will create high-resolution color stereoscopic photos of Europa. In addition to measuring surface elevations and studying geologic activity, they will set other instruments in context.
Imagers / Spectrometry
Europa Ultraviolet Spectrograph (Europa-UVS)
By collecting ultraviolet light with a telescope and creating images, the mission’s ultraviolet spectrograph will help determine the composition of Europa’s atmospheric gases and surface materials. It will also search near Europa for signs of plume activity.
Plasma & Magnetic Field
Europa Clipper Magnetometer (ECM)
The magnetometer's objectives are to estimate the thickness of the moon's ice shell, assess the depth and salinity of Europa's ocean, and investigate the continent's magnetic field. It will also investigate the interactions between Jupiter's and Europa's ionized atmospheres.
Mapping Imaging Spectrometer for Europa (MISE)
The mission's ultraviolet spectrograph will assist in identifying the makeup of Europa's surface minerals and atmospheric gases by gathering ultraviolet light through a telescope and producing images. Additionally, it will look for evidence of plume activity close to Europa.
Plasma Instrument for Magnetic Sounding (PIMS)
Europa’s ionosphere, and plasma trapped in Jupiter’s magnetic field, distort magnetic fields near Europa. The PIMS instruments will distinguish those distortions from Europa’s induced magnetic field, which carries information about Europa’s ocean.
Radar & Gravity
Gravity/Radio Science
Magnetic fields close to Europa are distorted by the ionosphere around the planet and by plasma caught in Jupiter's magnetic field. These distortions will be distinguished from Europa's induced magnetic field, which contains data about the continent's ocean, using the PIMS instruments.
Radar for Europa Assessment and Sounding: Ocean to Near-surface (REASON)
Ice-penetrating radar will probe Europa’s icy shell for reflections from the moon’s suspected ocean, and study the ice’s structure and thickness. It will also study the moon’s surface topography, composition, and roughness.
Chemical Analysis
Mass Spectrometer for Planetary EXploration/Europa (MASPEX)
By examining Europa's icy exterior for reflections from the moon's putative ocean, ice-penetrating radar will be able to determine the thickness and structure of the ice. It will also investigate the topography, composition, and roughness of the moon's surface.
Surface Dust Analyzer (SUDA)
Tiny meteorites expel fragments of Europa’s surface into space, and a subsurface ocean or reservoirs might vent material into space as plumes. The dust analyzer will determine the composition and provenance of that material and provide hints regarding the salinity of the seas surrounding Europa.