Europa
Europa
Moon of Jupiter
Europa facts
- Orbits
- Jupiter
- Distance from Jupiter
- 671,100 km (9.6 Jupiter-radii)
- Orbital period
- 3.6 days
- Diameter
- 3,122 km
- Mass
- 4.8 × 10²² kg
- Orbital inclination
- 0.47°
- Tidally locked
- Yes
- Discovered
- 1610, by Galileo Galilei
Europa orbits Jupiter
Watch Europa (highlighted) circle Jupiter. Press play; the moons run at their real relative speeds.
Relative sizes and spacing are compressed; orbits shown coplanar. Click a moon for its page.
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About Europa
Europa is a Galilean moon of Jupiter wrapped in a smooth shell of water ice, beneath which lies a global ocean holding more liquid water than all of Earth's. That hidden ocean makes it one of the most promising places to search for life beyond Earth. Its surface is crisscrossed by cracks but almost free of craters.
- Named after a Phoenician princess courted by Zeus in Greek myth
- Discovered: 1610, by Galileo Galilei
Europa: frequently asked questions
- What is Europa?
- Europa is a Galilean moon of Jupiter wrapped in a smooth shell of water ice, beneath which lies a global ocean holding more liquid water than all of Earth's.
- What planet does Europa orbit?
- Europa orbits Jupiter at an average distance of about 671,100 km, completing one lap every 3.6 days.
- How big is Europa?
- Europa has a diameter of about 3,122 km and a mass of roughly 4.8 × 10²² kg.
- Why is Europa famous?
- Europa's claim to fame: hides a global subsurface ocean of liquid water beneath its icy crust, a prime target in the search for life.
See Europa in motion
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Data from NASA/JPL and NSSDCA. Source.