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A reanalysis of Hubble Space Telescope data has cast doubt on previous detections of water vapor plumes erupting from Jupiter's moon Europa. The original observations, which suggested water was escaping from Europa's subsurface ocean into space, may have been the result of instrumental artifacts or data processing errors rather than actual plumes. This finding undermines what was considered promising evidence for active venting of Europa's ocean.
Why it matters
The presence of water plumes would have provided a way to sample Europa's subsurface ocean without landing on the moon's surface, making it easier to search for potential signs of life. This retraction means future missions like Europa Clipper will need to rely more heavily on other methods to study the moon's hidden ocean and assess its habitability.
Reanalysis shows that the Hubble Space Telescope’s detection of water vapor escaping from Jupiter’s moon Europa might have been a glitch.
The post Evidence of Water Plumes from Jupiter's Moon Europa Vanishes appeared first on Sky & Telescope.
Source: Evidence of Water Plumes from Jupiter's Moon Europa Vanishes