At the touch of radiation, the simulated surface shone. Murthy Gudipati, a scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), and his team created miniature versions of Europa’s icy surface, based on astronomy’s current understanding of its composition, and then bombarded them with electron beams. And when those particles strike the moon’s ice-covered surface, a quirk of chemistry could make it glow in the dark.Ĭould, because scientists haven’t observed this mysterious light show on Europa itself, but only here on Earth, in a lab chamber that simulates the environment around the distant moon. The high-energy particles constantly bombard Europa, a world slightly smaller than our moon, with a wispy atmosphere. Jupiter’s magnetic field is the largest of any other planet in the solar system, and the radiation within its boundaries is many millions of times more intense than the radiation near Earth. The glow arises from the special nature of Europa’s cosmic home.
According to new research, Europa might glow even on its night side, producing an ethereal glimmer without the help of the sun. Jupiter is far away from here, but our star still illuminates the planet and its many moons, including the moon Europa.īut Europa is different from the others. Our own moon glows in the dark, reflecting the light of the sun. One of Jupiter’s moons might be glowing in the dark.Īt first glance, this is perhaps unsurprising. NASA / JPL / University of Arizona / The Atlantic
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