(ORDO NEWS) — Here is the Chaos Konamara region (lat. Conamara Chaos) on Europa , the icy satellite of Jupiter , which clearly indicates a relatively recent surface renewal.
All the numerous irregularly shaped blocks caught in the frame are pieces of water ice, which were formed as a result of the destruction and movement of the satellite’s crust (most likely, a large meteorite fell).
After the impact, the blocks began to move, rotate and partially sink into the moving material, which could be liquid water, warm moving ice or water sludge.
Given the ambient temperature of about -160 degrees Celsius, everything was again covered with hard, but relatively brittle ice, as evidenced by numerous young cracks “cutting through” the observed area.
The chaos of Konamara is one of the most compelling proofs that an ocean of liquid water lurks beneath the icy surface of Europa.
The image was taken by NASA‘s Galileo spacecraft on February 20, 1997, from a distance of 5,340 kilometers from the surface of Europa.
—
Online:
Contact us: [email protected]
Our Standards, Terms of Use: Standard Terms And Conditions.