This is an image of Europa
Click on image for full size
Courtesy of NASA
Icy Moon
Icy moons are large or small moons which are mostly
made of ice. These moons are unlike the earth's moon, which is made of
silicate rock.
Perfect examples of icy moons are 3 of the Galilean satellites, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. Except maybe for Europa and Triton, these moons have no atmosphere.
But the surfaces of these moons, especially Ganymede, show that in their history, something may have happened inside which changed the way the surface of the moon looks today. Activity in the interior could also provide an environment suitable for life.
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