JPL
Careers
Education
Science & Technology
JPL Logo
JPL Logo
Image

Europa During Voyager 2 Closest Approach

Sept. 26, 1996
This color image of the Jovian moon Europa was acquired by NASA's Voyager 2 during its close encounter on Jul. 9, 1979. Europa, the size of our moon, is thought to have a crust of ice perhaps 100 kilometers thick which overlies the silicate crust.

This color image of the Jovian moon Europa was acquired by Voyager 2 during its close encounter on Monday morning, July 9, 1979. Europa, the size of our moon, is thought to have a crust of ice perhaps 100 kilometers thick which overlies the silicate crust. The complex array of streaks indicate that the crust has been fractured and filled by materials from the interior. The lack of relief, any visible mountains or craters, on its bright limb is consistent with a thick ice crust. In contrast to its icy neighbors, Ganymede and Callisto, Europa has very few impact craters. One possible candidate is the small feature near the center of this image with radiating rays and a bright circular interior. The relative absence of features and low topography suggests the crust is young and warm a few kilometers below the surface. The tidal heating process suggested for Io also may be heating Europa's interior at a lower rate.

Download JPG
Download TIFF
Target
  • Europa
Spacecraft
  • Voyager 2
Instrument
  • VG Imaging Science Subsystem - Narrow Angle
Credit
NASA/JPL

Keep Exploring

Related Topic

News .

My Favorite Martian Image: ‘Enchanted’ Rocks at Jezero Crater

News .

Swarm of Tiny Swimming Robots Could Look for Life on Distant Worlds

News .

Help NASA Scientists Find Clouds on Mars

Event June 30, 2022 .

JPL & the Space Age: The Pathfinders

News .

NASA’s Curiosity Takes Inventory of Key Life Ingredient on Mars

News .

NASA to Discuss Psyche Asteroid Mission

News .

NASA Mars Orbiter Releasing One of Its Last Rainbow-Colored Maps

News .

NASA’s Curiosity Captures Stunning Views of a Changing Mars Landscape

News .

NASA’s InSight Gets a Few Extra Weeks of Mars Science

News .

NASA, Partner Establish New Research Group for Mars Sample Return Program

About JPL
Who We Are
Executive Council
Directors
Careers
Internships
The JPL Story
JPL Achievements
Documentary Series
Annual Reports
Missions
Current
Past
Future
All
News
All
Earth
Solar System
Stars and Galaxies
Subscribe to JPL News
Galleries
Images
Videos
Audio
Podcasts
Apps
Visions of the Future
Slice of History
Robotics at JPL
Events
Lecture Series
Team Competitions
Speakers Bureau
Calendar
Visit
Public Tours
Virtual Tour
Topics
JPL Life
Solar System
Mars
Earth
Climate Change
Exoplanets
Stars and Galaxies
Robotics
More
Asteroid Watch
NASA's Eyes Visualizations
Universe - Internal Newsletter
Social Media
Get the Latest from JPL
Follow Us

JPL is a federally funded research and development center managed for NASA by Caltech.

More from JPL
Careers Education Science & Technology Acquisitions JPL Store
Careers
Education
Science & Technology
Acquisitions
JPL Store
Related NASA Sites
Basics of Spaceflight
Climate Kids
Earth / Global Climate Change
Exoplanet Exploration
Mars Exploration
Solar System Exploration
Space Place
NASA's Eyes Visualization Project
Voyager Interstellar Mission
NASA
Caltech
Privacy
Image Policy
FAQ
Feedback
Site Managers: Veronica McGregor, Randal Jackson
Site Editors: Tony Greicius, Naomi Hartono