Europa

Enhanced Image Of Europa’s Conamara Region Released

By Keith Cowing
Status Report
NASA
October 7, 2024
Filed under , , , ,
Enhanced Image Of Europa’s Conamara Region Released
close-up view of terrain within the region of Europa’s surface — NASA

This image shows a close-up view of terrain within the region of Europa’s surface named Conamara. This region sports ice rafts that look like those at Earth’s poles, where large chunks of ice break away and float freely on the ocean.

Much of the region bears the reddish/brownish discoloration seen here – the same as seen along many of Europa’s fractures. Scientists believe this material may contain clues about the composition of an ocean beneath the icy surface, if it is proven to exist. The data used to produce this color view was originally released by the Galileo mission as PIA01403.

astrobiology

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