Europa (moon)

Definition

Europa is the smallest and least massive of Jupiter's four Galilean moons. It is observable from Earth with common binoculars and is a planetary-mass moon, slightly smaller and less massive than Earth's Moon. Europa is an icy moon, and, of the three icy Galilean moons, the closest orbiting Jupiter. As a result, it exhibits a relatively young surface shaped by tidal heating.

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Phillips Dactyl (moon)Damocloid Daphnis (moon)Dark forest hypothesis Darwin (spacecraft)Debris disk Declination Deep Impact (spacecraft)Deep space exploration Definition of life Deimos (moon)Density Desdemona (moon)Despina (moon)Detached object Deuterium-depleted water Dia (moon)Diameter Diana Blaney Diapir Dimorphos Dione (moon)Directed panspermia Discovery and exploration of the Solar System Disrupted planet Dissociation (chemistry)Double planet Doubly labeled water Dragonfly (Titan space probe)Drake equation Dwarf planet Dysnomia (moon)EPIC 204278916 ESA EXPOSE Earhart (moon)Earliest known life forms Earth Earth's internal heat budget Earth analog Earth trojan Ecliptic Effects of Planet Nine on trans-Neptunian objects Eggther (moon)Eirene (moon)Elara (moon)Enceladus Enceladus Explorer Enceladus Life Finder Enceladus Life Signatures and Habitability Enceladus Orbilander Endolith Epimetheus (moon)Epoch (astronomy)Epsilon Equatorial plane Erinome Eris (dwarf planet)Erriapus Ersa (moon)Escape velocity EuCROPIS Euanthe (moon)Eukelade Eupheme (moon)Euporie (moon)Europa (consort of Zeus)Europa Clipper Europa Jupiter System Mission Europa Lander (NASA)Europa Orbiter European Astrobiology Network Association European Space Agency Eurydome (moon)Evolutionary biology ExoLance ExoMars Exobiology Radiation Assembly Exoplanet Exoplanetary Circumstellar Environments and Disk Explorer Exoplanetology Exotheology Exozodiacal dust Exploration of Jupiter Exploration of Mars Exploration of Mercury Exploration of Neptune Exploration of Pluto Exploration of Saturn Exploration of Uranus Exploration of the Moon Explorer of Enceladus and Titan Exposing Microorganisms in the Stratosphere External ballistics Extraterrestrial atmosphere Extraterrestrial hypothesis Extraterrestrial intelligence Extraterrestrial life Extraterrestrial liquid water Extraterrestrial materials Extraterrestrial sample curation Extraterrestrial water Extraterrestrials in fiction Extremophile Fahrenheit Falcon Heavy Falga Regio Farbauti (moon)Fast radio burst Fenrir (moon)Ferdinand (moon)Fermi paradox Fifth Giant Firstborn hypothesis Five-planet Nice model Fobos-Grunt Formation and evolution of the Solar System Formation of Jupiter Fornjot (moon)Forward-contamination Foton-M Francisco (moon)Frost line (astrophysics)GJ 1132 b Galactic habitable zone Galatea (moon)Galilean moons Galilean satellites Galileo (spacecraft)Galileo Galilei Galileo Telescope Galileo project Gallic group Ganymede (moon)Gas giant Gas torus Gauss's Pythagorean right triangle proposal Geirrod (moon)Geology of Triton Geomicrobiology Geophysical Research Letters Gerard Kuiper Gerd (moon)Gertrude (crater)Giant-impact hypothesis Giant planet Glacial striation Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph Gonggong (dwarf planet)Gould Belt Grand tack hypothesis Gravitational collapse Gravitational constant Great Filter Great Red Spot Greek mythology Greip (moon)Gridr (moon)Gunnlod (moon)Gǃòʼé ǃHú HD 164595 HD 209458 b Habitability of F-type main-sequence star systems Habitability of G-type main-sequence star systems Habitability of K-type main-sequence star systems Habitability of binary star systems Habitability of natural satellites Habitability of neutron star systems Habitability of red dwarf systems Habitable zone Habitable zone for complex life Halimede (moon)Halophile Hamlet (crater)Harpalyke (moon)Hart–Tipler conjecture Hati (moon)Haumea Hayabusa2 Heavy water Hegemone (moon)Helene (moon)Helike (moon)Hemolithin Hermippe (moon)Herse (moon)Hill sphere Hills cloud Himalia (moon)Himalia group Hippocamp (moon)Historical models of the Solar System History of Solar System formation and evolution hypotheses History of life History of the extraterrestrial life debate Hiʻiaka (moon)Hubble Space Telescope Human spaceflight Human spaceflight programs Hycean planet Hydra (moon)Hydrate Hydrobiology Hydrogen peroxide Hydrology Hydronium Hydrosphere Hydrothermal vent Hyperion (hypothetical planet)Hyperion (moon)Hypothetical moon of Mercury Hypothetical types of biochemistry Hyrrokkin (moon)Iapetus (moon)Icarus (journal)Ice Ice giant Iceberg Icebreaker Life Ijiraq (moon)Ilmarë Impact crater Impact events on Jupiter Inner moon Inner satellites of Jupiter Interplanetary contamination Interplanetary dust cloud Interplanetary medium Interstellar cloud Interstellar communication Interstellar medium Inuit group Io (moon)Io Volcano Observer Iocaste (moon)Ionizing radiation Ionosphere Iron Iron–nickel alloy Irregular moon Isonoe (moon)JAXA Janus (moon)Jarnsaxa (moon)Jet Propulsion Laboratory Johannes Kepler Journey to Enceladus and Titan Jovian Europa Orbiter Jovian system Juliet (moon)Juno (spacecraft)Jupiter Jupiter's North Pole Jupiter's South Pole Jupiter's magnetosphere Jupiter's moons in fiction Jupiter (mythology)Jupiter 2 Jupiter Europa Orbiter Jupiter Ganymede Orbiter Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter Jupiter LI Jupiter LII Jupiter LIV Jupiter LIX Jupiter LV Jupiter LVI Jupiter LXI Jupiter LXIII Jupiter LXIV Jupiter LXIX Jupiter LXVI Jupiter LXVII Jupiter LXVIII Jupiter LXX Jupiter LXXII Jupiter Magnetospheric Orbiter Jupiter in fiction Jupiter trojan Kachina Chasmata Kale (moon)Kallichore (moon)Kalyke Kardashev scale Kari (moon)Kazachok Kelvin Kepler-7b Kerberos (moon)Kirkwood gap Kiviuq (moon)Kore (moon)Kuiper belt Kuiper cliff L4 (spacecraft)Lagrange point Lake stratification Langmuir probe Laniakea Supercluster Laomedeia Laplace-P Laplace resonance Larissa (moon)Late Heavy Bombardment Latin Leda (moon)Lexico Lidar Life Life Investigation For Enceladus Life on Europa Life on Mars Life on Titan Life on Venus Lincos language Lineae Linus (moon)List of Earth-crossing asteroids List of Jupiter-crossing minor planets List of Jupiter trojans (Greek camp)List of Jupiter trojans (Trojan camp)List of Mars-crossing minor planets List of Mercury-crossing minor planets List of Neptune-crossing minor planets List of Saturn-crossing minor planets List of Solar System objects List of Solar System objects by size List of Solar System probes List of Uranus-crossing minor planets List of Venus-crossing minor planets List of adjectivals and demonyms of astronomical bodies List of alleged extraterrestrial beings List of asteroid moons List of craters on Europa List of crewed spacecraft List of exceptional asteroids List of extrasolar candidates for liquid water List of geological features on Ariel List of geological features on Europa List of geological features on Miranda List of geological features on Oberon List of geological features on Puck List of geological features on Titania List of geological features on Umbriel List of gravitationally rounded objects of the Solar System List of hypothetical Solar System objects List of interstellar and circumstellar molecules List of lineae on Europa List of microorganisms tested in outer space List of minor planet discoverers List of minor planets List of missions to comets List of moons by diameter List of natural satellites List of possible dwarf planets List of potentially habitable exoplanets List of quadrangles on Europa Lists of comets Living Interplanetary Flight Experiment Local Bubble Local Group Local Hole Local Interstellar Cloud Local Sheet Local Volume Loge (moon)Long Duration Exposure Facility Louise Prockter Lunar resources Lunar water Lynnae Quick Lysithea (moon)MELOS Mab (moon)Magma chamber Magnesium sulfate Magnetic field Magnetic moment Magnetometer Magnetosphere of Jupiter Main sequence Makemake Mantle (geology)Margaret (moon)Mars Mars 2020 Mars Astrobiology Explorer-Cacher Mars Geyser Hopper Mars Science Laboratory Mars sample-return mission Mars sample return mission Mars trojan Mass Mean radius (astronomy)Meanings of minor-planet names Mediocrity principle Megaclite Meltwater Menoetius (moon)Mercury (planet)Merriam-Webster Messina Chasmata Metal Meteoroid Methone (moon)Metis (moon)Metre per second squared Microbiology Milky Way Mimas Minor-planet moon Minor planet Minos Miranda (moon)Mneme (moon)Molecular cloud Moment of inertia factor Mommur Chasma Moon Moonlet Moons of Haumea Moons of Jupiter Moons of Mars Moons of Neptune Moons of Pluto Moons of Saturn Moons of Uranus Mundilfari (moon)Mundus Iovialis Murchison meteorite Murias Chaos NASA NASA Astrobiology Institute NIROSETI NIRSpec Naiad (moon)Nakhla meteorite Namaka (moon)Naming of moons Narvi (moon)Natural satellite Nature (journal)Nature Astronomy Nature Communications Near-Earth object Nebular hypothesis Neith (hypothetical moon)Nemesis (hypothetical star)Neocatastrophism Neptune Neptune trojan Nereid (moon)Neso (moon)New Horizons Nexus for Exoplanet System Science Nibiru cataclysm Nice 2 model Nice model Nix (moon)Non-planetary abiogenesis Non-synchronous rotation Noosphere Norse group Northern Light (spacecraft)Nuclear power O/OREOS OREOcube OSIRIS-REx Oberon (moon)Observable universe Observations and explorations of Venus Ocean Worlds Exploration Program Ocean planet Ocean stratification Ocean temperature Ocean world Oceanic ridge Oceanus (Titan orbiter)Olympias (moon)Oort cloud Oort limit Ophelia (moon)Opportunity (rover)Opposition (astronomy and astrology)Orbital eccentricity Orbital inclination Orbital period Orbital resonance Orbital speed Orcus (dwarf planet)Organic compounds Organic matter Origin of water on Earth Orion Arm Orthosie (moon)Osculating orbit Outer Planet Flagship Mission Outer space Outline of Jupiter Outline of extraterrestrial life Outline of space exploration Outline of the Solar System Outline of water Oxford University Press Oxygen PSR B1919+21 Paaliaq Paleontology Pallene (moon)Pan (moon)Pandia (moon)Pandora (moon)Panspermia Pascal (unit)Pasiphae (moon)Pasiphae group Pasithee (moon)Peggy (moonlet)Penitente (snow formation)Perdita (moon)Perseverance (rover)Petit-Prince (moon)Phaeton (hypothetical planet)Philophrosyne (moon)Phobos (moon)Phoebe (moon)Phoenicia Phoenix (spacecraft)Phyllosilicates Pioneer 10 Pioneer 11 Pioneer plaque Pioneer program Pisces–Cetus Supercluster Complex Planet Planet Nine Planet V Planetarium hypothesis Planetary-mass moon Planetary Science Decadal Survey Planetary core Planetary flyby Planetary habitability Planetary habitability in the Solar System Planetary migration Planetary objects proposed in religion, astrology, ufology and pseudoscience Planetary oceanography Planetary protection Planetary science Planetary system Planetesimal Planets beyond Neptune Plate tectonics Plutino Pluto Poles of astronomical bodies Polydeuces (moon)Portia (moon)Post-detection policy Potential cultural impact of extraterrestrial contact Potentially hazardous object Praxidike (moon)Prebiotic atmosphere Prime meridian Project Cyclops Project Ozma Project Phoenix (SETI)Project Prometheus Prometheus (moon)Properties of water Prospero (moon)Proteus (moon)Protoplanetary disk Provisional designation in astronomy Psamathe (moon)Public domain Puck (moon)Pwyll (crater)Pyrolysis Quaoar Queta (moon)Radiogenic heating Radiolysis Radius Rare Earth hypothesis Red giant Reduced (chemistry)Regular moon Remus (moon)Rhadamanthys Linea Rhea (moon)Right ascension Ring system Rings of Chariklo Rings of Haumea Rings of Jupiter Rings of Neptune Rings of Rhea Rings of Saturn Rings of Uranus Roche limit Rock (geology)Roman numerals Romulus (moon)Rosalind (moon)Rosalind Franklin (rover)Rosetta (spacecraft)Rossby wave Rousillon Rupes Rubble pile Röntgen equivalent man S/2002 N 5 S/2003 J 10 S/2003 J 12 S/2003 J 16 S/2003 J 23 S/2003 J 24 S/2003 J 4 S/2003 J 9 S/2004 S 12 S/2004 S 13 S/2004 S 17 S/2004 S 21 S/2004 S 24 S/2004 S 28 S/2004 S 3 S/2004 S 31 S/2004 S 36 S/2004 S 37 S/2004 S 39 S/2004 S 4 S/2004 S 6 S/2004 S 7 S/2005 S 5 S/2006 S 1 S/2006 S 12 S/2006 S 20 S/2006 S 3 S/2006 S 9 S/2007 S 2 S/2007 S 3 S/2009 S 1 S/2011 J 3 S/2015 (136472) 1 S/2018 J 2 S/2018 J 4 S/2019 S 1 S/2020 S 4 S/2020 S 5 S/2021 N 1 S/2023 U 1 SERENDIP SETI@home SHGb02+14a SMARA (spacecraft)Sample-return mission San Marino Scale Santos-Dumont (moon)Sao (moon)Satellite galaxies of the Milky Way Saturn Saturn LVIII Saturn LX Saturn LXIV Saturn in fiction Scattered disc Science (journal)Sea salt Search for extraterrestrial intelligence Sedna (dwarf planet)Sednoid Selam (moon)Semiheavy water Serpentinization Setebos (moon)SetiQuest Shensuo (spacecraft)Shergotty meteorite Siarnaq Sievert Silicate Simon Marius Sinope (moon)Skamandrios (moon)Skathi (moon)Skoll (moon)Skrymir (moon)Skynd (crater)Small Solar System body Snowball Earth Sodium chloride Solar Polar Orbit Observatory Solar System Solar System model Solar eclipses on Jupiter Space.com SpaceX Red Dragon Space Flyer Unit Space colonization Space exploration Space probe Space station Spanish Astrobiology Center Spheroid Spirit (rover)Sponde Springer Science+Business Media Squannit (moon)Star Star formation State of matter Steam Stellar atmosphere Stellar collision Stephano (moon)Stratification (water)Styx (moon)Subduction Sublimation (phase transition)Subsatellite Subsurface ocean Sulfur Sulfuric acid Sun Superhabitable planet Superheated steam Surface gravity Surtur (moon)Suttungr (moon)Sycorax (moon)Synchronous rotation Synestia Synodic rotation period Syzygy (astronomy)THEO Tabby's Star Tanpopo (mission)Tanpopo mission Tara Regio Tarqeq Tarvos (moon)Taygete (moon)Technosignature Tectonic plate Telesto (moon)Temperature Terrestrial Planet Finder Terrestrial planet Terrestrial planets Tesla (unit)Tethys (moon)Thalassa (moon)The New York Times Thebe (moon)Theia (hypothetical planet)Thelxinoe (moon)Themis (hypothetical moon)Themisto (moon)Thiazzi (moon)Tholin Tholins Thrymr (moon)Thyone (moon)Tianwen-1 Tianwen-4 Tidal acceleration Tidal flexing Tidal force Tidal heating Tidal locking Timeline of Solar System exploration Timeline of discovery of Solar System planets and their moons Titan (moon)Titan Mare Explorer Titan Saturn System Mission Titania (moon)Trace Gas Orbiter Trans-Neptunian object Trident (spacecraft)Trinculo (moon)Tritiated water Triton (moon)Trojan (celestial body)Trojan moon True polar wander Tyche (hypothetical planet)Tyre, Lebanon Tyre (Europa)UFO religion Ulysses (spacecraft)Umbriel Uniformity of motive Universe University of Arizona University of Padua University of Texas at Austin Uranus Uranus XXVIII Uranus trojans Ursula (crater)VVV-WIT-07 Valetudo (moon)Vanth (moon)Vegetable Production System Venus Venus In Situ Explorer Verona Rupes Viking 1 Viking 2 Viking lander biological experiments Virgo Supercluster Volatile (astrogeology)Volcanism Volume Voyager 1 Voyager 2 Voyager Golden Record Voyager probes Voyager program Vulcan (hypothetical planet)Vulcanoid Vuver (crater)Water Water (data page)Water cycle Water distribution on Earth Water hole (radio)Water model Water on Mars Water pollution Water resource management Water resource policy Water resources Water supply Water vapor Weywot White dwarf Williams College Wow! signal Wunda (crater)Xenoarchaeology Xiangliu (moon)Yamato 000593 Yangoor (crater)Ymir (moon)Zeus Zhurong (rover)Zoo hypothesis

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