Europa
Moon of Jupiter
An icy moon of Jupiter thought to hide a salty ocean, one of the best places to look for life beyond Earth.
Key facts
- Orbits
- Jupiter
- Diameter
- About 3,122 km
- One orbit
- 3.6 days
- Notable for
- A likely ocean under its ice
About the Europa
How to recognise it
Europa has a bright, smooth icy surface criss-crossed by reddish-brown cracks and ridges, with very few craters. Our image shows its approximate natural colour, taken by the Galileo spacecraft in 1996.
What makes it special
Scientists have strong evidence of a salty ocean beneath Europa’s ice, holding about twice as much water as all of Earth’s oceans. NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft, launched in 2024, is on its way to study whether it could support life.
Sources
Facts checked: 29 October 2026
