Europa Archives

Temperature profiles of the CPD at t = 50, 100, 150, and 200 kyr of its evolution. The formation of COMs by thermal processing occurs in the temperature range from 80 K (blue dashed line) to 260 K (red dashed line). At 150 kyr of evolution, a cold region appears in the model, with temperatures too low to support COM formation by thermal processing. -- astro-ph.EP

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Callisto, Cryobiology, Europa, Ganymede, Habitable Zones, Ice Giant, Io, Jupiter, Missions & Hardware, Status Report

Formation and Survival of Complex Organic Molecules in the Jovian Circumplanetary Disk

by Keith CowingFebruary 19, 2026February 19, 2026

Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto are key targets in the search for habitability due to the potential presence of subsurface oceans. Detecting complex organic molecules (COMs), essential for prebiotic chemistry, is […]

The painting on the left is an artist’s conception of a plume eruption on Saturn’s moon Enceladus. The image on the right is a photo of two researchers in the Utah desert collecting effluent from the Crystal cold-water geyser. The aim of their study is to understand if and how material is modified as it is transported from reservoir to the spray of a geyser. What they learn can be applied to the study of plumes from icy moons that might host life, or the components for it, in a subsurface ocean. Credit: PSI/William Hartmann/Morgan Cable

Analog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Astrogeology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Cryobiology, Desert Worlds, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Polar / Alpine Expeditions, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

What Cold-water Geysers On Earth Reveal About The Habitability Of Ocean Worlds

by Keith CowingFebruary 18, 2026February 18, 2026

In the eastern Utah desert, carbon-dioxide-saturated water bubbles, sprays and foams from the ground. These cold-water geysers, sometimes called ‘soda pop geysers,’ are a new and reliable Earth-based analog for […]

Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone National Park. (Credit: CC photo via Wikimedia Commons) -- via CU Boulder

Astrobiology (general), Astropharmacy / Biotechnology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Commercial & Private Sector, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Microbiology & Virology, Nanotechnology & SynBio, NASA Astrobiology Program, Origin & Evolution of Life, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Press Release, Sample Return, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Astrobiologists Search For Alien Life And Help Life On Earth In The Process

by Keith CowingFebruary 17, 2026February 17, 2026

On Earth, life thrives in some of the most seemingly inhospitable environments.

This image was taken near the closest approach point, at a range of 560 kilometers (335 miles) and is the highest resolution picture of Europa that will be obtained by Galileo North is to the right of the picture, and the sun illuminates the surface from that direction. This image, centered at approximately 13 degrees south latitude and 235 degrees west longitude, is approximately 1.8 kilometers (1 mile) wide. The resolution is 6 meters (19 feet) per picture element. This image was taken on December 16, 1997 by the solid state imaging system camera on NASA's Galileo spacecraft. Larger image

Analog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Cryobiology, Enceladus, Europa, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Microbiology & Virology, Missions & Hardware, Panspermia, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Press Release, Reports, Roadmaps, & Plans, Sample Return, Tricorders & Sensors, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Survival Limits Of Psychrotolerant Microorganisms With Relevance For Planetary Protection Of The Icy Moons

by Keith CowingFebruary 17, 2026February 17, 2026

Investigating the survival limits of extremophilic microorganisms exposed to simulated space conditions can shed light on the ability of terrestrial microorganisms to survive and propagate on other planetary bodies.

Analog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Enceladus, Europa, Exploration Gear & Tech, Icy Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Missions & Hardware, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Sample Return, Video, Audio, Webcasts, Podcasts, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Crossovers In Ice Planet Exploration – Earth, Europa, And Beyond

by Keith CowingFebruary 12, 2026February 12, 2026

Keith’s note: On 11 February 2026 NOVA PBS Host / NewsHour reporter Miles O’Brien conducted a live broadcast from a ship in the southern ocean around Antarctica where Thwaites glacier […]

In this composite image, red pixels mark locations on Europa’s surface where ammonia-bearing compounds were detected; purple indicates no such detection. Captured by NASA’s Galileo mission in 1997, the data is overlaid on a black-and-white mosaic that zooms in on a portion of the moon’s surface. NASA/JPL-Caltech

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Europa, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

NASA’s Galileo Mission Points to Ammonia at Europa, Recent Study Shows

by Keith CowingJanuary 29, 2026January 29, 2026

New analysis of decades-old data has turned up a significant result: the first discovery of ammonia-bearing compounds on the surface of Jupiter’s moon Europa. Ammonia is a nitrogen-bearing molecule, and […]

Jupiter's moon Europa was captured by the JunoCam instrument aboard NASA's Juno spacecraft during the mission's close flyby on Sept. 29, 2022. The images show the fractures, ridges, and bands that crisscross the moon's surface. Credit: Image data: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS Image processing: Björn Jónsson (CC BY 3.0)

Astrogeology, Europa, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Jupiter, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Juno Measures The Thickness Of Europa’s Ice Shell

by Keith CowingJanuary 28, 2026

Results from the solar-powered spacecraft provide a new measurement of the thickness of the ice shell encasing the Jovian moon’s ocean.

Schematic diagram of typical initial conditions for a model run (not to scale). Temperature ranges from 100 to 273 K and is shown according to the color scale at right. There is an axis of symmetry on the right-hand side, adjacent to the denser and weaker “drip nucleus” region. The size, shape, density, and viscosity of the drip nucleus is varied between runs. Points labeled “X1,” “X2,” and “Y1” represent the locations of particle tracers tracked in Section 3 (results). Note that tracer particle “Y1” is at 300 m depth below the surface of the shell. Inset: depiction of “tapered” drip shape modeled in Section 4.2, with associated tracer particle locations. Inset shows the drip nucleus lithosphere against the symmetry boundary at the top of the model domain. -- The Planetary Science Journal

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Europa, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Jupiter, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, Radiation, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Study Suggests A Pathway For Life-sustaining Conditions In Europa’s Ocean

by Keith CowingJanuary 21, 2026January 21, 2026

A recent study by geophysicists at Washington State University offers insight into how nutrients may reach the subsurface ocean of Europa, one of Jupiter’s moons and a leading candidate for […]

Acquired on November 29 by Operation IceBridge during a flight to Victoria Land, this image shows an iceberg floating in Antarctica's McMurdo Sound. Image Credit: NASA larger image.

Analog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Exoplanets, -moons, -comets, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Press Release, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Ice World Assay: Ancient Antarctica Reveals A ‘One–two Punch’ Behind Ice Sheet Collapse

by Keith CowingJanuary 20, 2026January 20, 2026

Editor’s note: there are currently two advanced missions heading for the jovian system – Europa Clipper and ESA Juice – to study icy Europa and the other icy worlds orbiting […]

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Callisto, Europa, Ganymede, Icy Worlds, Io, Jupiter, Press Release

The Water Makeup Of Jupiter’s Galilean Moons Was Set At Birth

by Keith CowingJanuary 20, 2026January 20, 2026

While Io, the most volcanically active moon in the solar system, appears completely dry and devoid of water ice, its neighbor Europa is thought to harbor a vast global ocean […]