1
00:00:00,001 --> 00:00:01,280
WATER VAPOR DETECTED 
IN EUROPA’S ATMOSPHERE

2
00:00:01,280 --> 00:00:05,760
New analysis of archival Hubble 
data revealed water vapor in  

3
00:00:05,760 --> 00:00:13,600
the atmosphere of Jupiter’s icy moon Europa.
Europa's icy, smooth surface scarred by cracks  

4
00:00:13,600 --> 00:00:24,080
and fissures averages -275 °F, but researchers 
suspect a vast ocean lurks beneath that surface.

5
00:00:24,080 --> 00:00:28,240
The Hubble Space Telescope 
previously detected 60-mile-high  

6
00:00:28,240 --> 00:00:35,920
plumes of water vapor erupting like geysers.
These new results show water vapor over a larger  

7
00:00:35,920 --> 00:00:43,120
area, suggesting a long-term water vapor 
atmosphere on one of Europa’s hemispheres. 

8
00:00:43,120 --> 00:00:46,800
This discovery lays groundwork 
for missions that will explore  

9
00:00:46,800 --> 00:00:53,120
Jupiter’s icy moons. Understanding the 
formation and evolution of Jupiter and  

10
00:00:53,120 --> 00:01:01,648
its moons helps astronomers gain insights into 
Jupiter-like exoplanets elsewhere in the universe.

11
00:01:01,648 --> 00:01:03,667
[ MUSIC ]