![A semi-circular view of Europa, with its light blue and brown surface marked with brown lines.](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/204_PIA19048.jpg?w=4096&format=jpeg)
Europa
There is strong evidence Jupiter's moon Europa has a saltwater ocean that may be one of the best places to look for environments where life could exist beyond Earth.
Facts About Europa
Europa is the fourth largest of Jupiter’s 95 moons. It's the sixth-closest moon to the planet.
Europa may be one of the most promising places in our solar system to find present-day environments suitable for some form of life beyond Earth. Scientists believe a saltwater ocean lies beneath its icy shell, holding twice as much water as Earth's global ocean. It also may have the chemical elements that are key ingredients to life. NASA is launching its Europa Clipper spacecraft on Oct. 10, 2024, to determine whether there are places below Europa's surface that could support life.
Get the Facts![Europa has reddish brown lines and patches in this image from Juno.](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/pia25695-nasas-juno-mission-captures-images-of-europa.jpg?w=4096&format=jpeg&crop=1)
Europa by the Numbers
How big is Europa? How far is it from the Sun?
Use this tool to compare Europa to Earth, and other worlds.
Compare and Analyze![Europa rises above Jupiter in this image from New Horizons,](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/new-horizons-spies-europa.jpeg?w=4096&format=jpeg&crop=1)
Exploring Europa
NASA's Europa Clipper is launching Oct. 10, 2024, on the first mission to conduct a detailed science investigation of Europa.
Six robotic spacecraft have explored Europa, and scientists do regular observations of the moon with Hubble Space Telescope. Europa was first observed up close during the Jupiter flybys of Pioneer 10, Pioneer 11, Voyager 1 and Voyager 2. Most of what we know about the moon comes from observations by the Galileo mission. NASA's Juno spacecraft is orbiting Jupiter, and has made close flybys of Europa.
Learn More![An artist's concept of the Pioneer 10 spacecraft.](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/jupiter_pioneer_10_art-jpg.webp?w=4096&format=png&crop=1)
![The largest portion of the Europa's surface can be seen at the highest resolution from Galileo.](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/pia19048-europa-stunning-surface.jpg?w=4096&format=jpeg&crop=1)
Calling All Kids: Explore Europa Through Art
Join the NASA Space Place art challenge and imagine what's beneath Europa’s icy surface. Submit artwork by Sept. 30 for a chance to be featured by NASA!
Join the Space Place Art Challenge![An illustration of Jupiter, its moon Europa, and the Europa Clipper spacecraft; against a space backdrop in shades of purple and pink, two circles look like wood-grain plaques — Europa, at lower left, taking up about half of the frame, and Jupiter, smaller in the upper right. Hovering over Europa, a view of Clipper looks like a tan and gray lollipop shape, with black rectangles extending horizontally from either side of the round candy part.](https://science.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/europa-art-challenge-square-no-text.png?w=4096&format=png)