The NASA machine has, at the end of September, took the most precise shots of the surface of this icy star.
Le Monde
The American probe Juno, in orbit around Jupiter since 2016 , continues its exploration of the Jovian worlds: on September 29, the NASA machine passed 412 kilometers from the Moon Europe, to a Speed of 24 kilometers per second, taking advantage of this overview to deliver the most detailed images of the ice surface of the star, illuminated by the solar light reflected by Jupiter. The snapshot, covering an area of approximately 200 kilometers side, reveals a series of sometimes double fractures. We also guess darker areas which could be the result of eruptive materials that have pierced the ice shell several kilometers thick which floats above an ocean surrounding the sixth moon of the solar system – it is 90 % of the diameter of our moon. NASA provides a mission devoted to Europe, Europa Clipper , which must be launched in October 2024, for an arrival in the vicinity of Jupiter in 2030.