What Is It About Europa Anyway?

• Jupiterís moon Europa may have a deep, liquid-water ocean

  • Best estimates suggest ice is ~20km deep, with a total depth of water to ç100km
  • Heat flow from the interior 10-30% of Earth (10-30 mW/m2 on average).

• If an ocean is found, their may be an opportunity for aqueous chemistry, an origin of life, and the evolutionary ìexperiment.î

• Europa has all of the raw materials required to support ìlife-as-we-know-it,î but the questions are more ìwhether, where, when and how much?î

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