What keeps the ocean from freezing?

Tidal heating from Jupiter's gravity

How might Europa's water compare with Earth's oceans?

It may hold about twice as much

Europa Ocean Quiz: Jupiter's Icy Moon and Hidden Sea

This Europa ocean quiz flies past the icy moon of Jupiter that may hold more water than Earth's oceans. Play 10 interactive questions on Galileo's 1610 discovery, the cracked ice shell, tidal heating, magnetic clues from the Galileo probe, possible plumes, chaos terrain, Europa Clipper and the JUICE mission.

Start Europa Ocean Quiz

🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

Planet
Which planet does Europa orbit?
Found
Who discovered Europa in 1610?
Surface
What is Europa's surface made of?
Ocean
What lies beneath the ice?
Heat
What keeps the ocean from freezing?
Clue
Which probe found magnetic clues to the ocean?
Plumes
Which telescope saw hints of water plumes?
Water
How might Europa's water compare with Earth's oceans?
Clipper
When did NASA's Europa Clipper launch?
JUICE
Which European mission will also fly past Europa?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: Which planet does Europa orbit?
Answer: Jupiter
It is a Galilean moon.
Q2: Who discovered Europa in 1610?
Answer: Galileo Galilei
He saw four moons.
Q3: What is Europa's surface made of?
Answer: Ice
It is crossed by cracks.
Q4: What lies beneath the ice?
Answer: A salty liquid water ocean
It may be very deep.
Q5: What keeps the ocean from freezing?
Answer: Tidal heating from Jupiter's gravity
The moon is flexed as it orbits.
Q6: Which probe found magnetic clues to the ocean?
Answer: Galileo
It orbited Jupiter from 1995.
Q7: Which telescope saw hints of water plumes?
Answer: Hubble
Scientists are still testing the idea.
Q8: How might Europa's water compare with Earth's oceans?
Answer: It may hold about twice as much
The ocean is thought to be deep.
Q9: When did NASA's Europa Clipper launch?
Answer: October 2024
It arrives around 2030.
Q10: Which European mission will also fly past Europa?
Answer: JUICE
It launched in 2023.

Europa Ocean Quiz – Jupiter's Icy Moon and Hidden Sea

Europa is one of the four large moons of Jupiter that Galileo discovered in 1610. Slightly smaller than Earth's Moon, it has a bright surface of ice crossed by long cracks and jumbled chaos terrain.

Beneath the ice lies a salty ocean that may hold about twice as much water as Earth's oceans. Jupiter's gravity flexes the moon as it orbits, creating tidal heat that keeps the water liquid.

Magnetic measurements from the Galileo probe supported the ocean idea, and Hubble saw hints of plumes. NASA's Europa Clipper launched in October 2024, and Europe's JUICE mission will also fly past.

What This Quiz Teaches

Space fans will enjoy these questions.

Where Europa is
What its surface is like
Why its ocean stays liquid
What probes found
Which missions are coming

Did You Know?

Many scientists rank Europa among the best places to search for life.
Europa's ice shell may be many kilometers thick.
Reddish streaks may contain salts.
Clipper will make dozens of close flybys.
Europa takes about three and a half days to orbit Jupiter.