Exploratour - The Surface of Europa

Welcome to the Exploratour of the Surface of Europa. The navigation button for the tour can be found at the top of the page. In this tour we will describe the global surface of Europa. You can skip ahead if you like by using the links at the bottom of this page. To proceed with the tour, just press the forward link (F) on the button at the top of the page.

There is no movie of a rotating Europa to start this tour! We are still learning about Europa, and portions of its surface have yet to be mapped. Instead, on this tour, we will show you what we have learned about Europa so far by studying geologic features on its surface.

The picture to the left shows the first impressions of we had of the icy moon Europa closeup. This view is from the Voyager spacecraft and was taken in 1979. The surface seems to be smooth but cracked in places.

This is page 1 of 20

You might also be interested in:

Traveling Nitrogen Classroom Activity Kit

Check out our online store - minerals, fossils, books, activities, jewelry, and household items!...more

Exploratour - Does Europa have an Ocean?

This tour is a detailed look at the evidence proposed for the existence of such a subterranean ocean. We will expand on ideas, terms, and expressions used by geologists to describe the surface which were...more

Exploratour - Does Europa have an Ocean?

This tour is not ready yet, but you are welcome to click through and look at the pictures! When you think of an ocean, this is what usually comes to mind! When we discuss an ocean on Europa, this is not...more

ExploraTour - Looking at the World in a Different Light

Even though the sleeping man is no longer on the bed, you can still see where he was lying down. The heat from his body warmed up the bed sheets which are now radiating infrared light toward your eyes....more

ExploraTour - Looking at the World in a Different Light

All warm objects (not just people) radiate in the infrared. Warmer objects give off more infrared radiation. Very hot objects radiate other types of light in addition to infrared. Click on the picture...more

ExploraTour - Looking at the World in a Different Light

Your eye is a wonderful detector of visible light. Different frequencies of light produce different sensations in the eye which we interpret as colors. Our eyes detect light by using light sensitive components...more

ExploraTour - Looking at the World in a Different Light

Imagine you found a pair of special glasses that not only gave you telescopic vision but gave you the ability to see all forms of radiant energy. The universe in visible light contains all the familiar...more

ExploraTour - Looking at the World in a Different Light

This is a volcano on the island of Miyake in Japan. It has erupted, sending hot lava and ash into the air, a total of ten times. The time after one eruption until the next occurred was about twenty years...more

Windows to the Universe, a project of the National Earth Science Teachers Association, is sponsored in part is sponsored in part through grants from federal agencies (NASA and NOAA), and partnerships with affiliated organizations, including the American Geophysical Union, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Earth System Information Partnership, the American Meteorological Society, the National Center for Science Education, and TERC. The American Geophysical Union and the American Geosciences Institute are Windows to the Universe Founding Partners. NESTA welcomes new Institutional Affiliates in support of our ongoing programs, as well as collaborations on new projects. Contact NESTA for more information. NASA ESIP NCSE HHMI AGU AGI AMS NOAA