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WATER VAPOR DETECTED
IN EUROPA’S ATMOSPHERE

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New analysis of archival Hubble 
data revealed water vapor in  

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the atmosphere of Jupiter’s icy moon Europa.
Europa's icy, smooth surface scarred by cracks  

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and fissures averages -275 °F, but researchers 
suspect a vast ocean lurks beneath that surface.

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The Hubble Space Telescope 
previously detected 60-mile-high  

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plumes of water vapor erupting like geysers.
These new results show water vapor over a larger  

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area, suggesting a long-term water vapor 
atmosphere on one of Europa’s hemispheres.

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This discovery lays groundwork 
for missions that will explore  

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Jupiter’s icy moons. Understanding the 
formation and evolution of Jupiter and  

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its moons helps astronomers gain insights into 
Jupiter-like exoplanets elsewhere in the universe.

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