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.

This view of Jupiter's icy moon Europa was captured by JunoCam, the public engagement camera aboard NASA's Juno spacecraft, during the mission's close flyby on Sept. 29, 2022.

Image data: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS | Image processing: Kevin M. Gill CC BY 3.0

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,

NASA's New Horizons spacecraft took this image of Europa hanging above Jupiter's cloud tops on Feb. 28, 2007, six hours after the spacecraft's closest approach to Jupiter.

NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute

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 Voyag e r 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.

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An artist’s concept of NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft.

NASA/JPL-Caltech

Europa Multimedia

Images, posters and more.

Go to Multimedia

The largest portion of the Europa's surface can be seen at the highest resolution from Galileo.

The surface of Jupiter's icy moon Europa looms large in this color view, made from images taken by NASA's Galileo spacecraft in the late 1990s.

NASA/JPL-Caltech/SETI Institute

exploring jupiter's ocean world

Launching Soon: Europa Clipper

NASA's Europa Clipper is launching Oct. 10, 2024, on the first mission to conduct a detailed science investigation of Jupiter's moon Europa.

Learn More About Europa Clipper

An artist's concept of NASA's Europa Clipper above Jupiter. The spacecraft's solar panels appear dark gray. Instruments can be seen protruding from the spacecraft. Jupiter has pale stripes of beige and reddish-brown.

This artist's concept depicts NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft in orbit around Jupiter.

NASA/JPL-Caltech

Europa clipper mission

#RunwayToJupiter Style Challenge

This October, NASA is launching Europa Clipper to explore Jupiter’s icy moon, Europa. Express your space style! Show off your outfits, makeup looks, nail art, and other creative expressions inspired by Jupiter's swirls, Europa's icy glam, and the exploration of the planets. Share your look with the hashtag #RunwayToJupiter for a chance to be featured on NASA’s website and social media channels.

How to Participate

This image was submitted by Emily Martin for NASA's #RunwayToJupiter style challenge.

Courtesy of Emily Martin

picture an ocean world

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.

Learn More

Europa Clipper Website
Europa Clipper’s main science goal is to determine whether there are places below the surface of Jupiter’s icy moon, Europa, that could support life.
NASA Photojournal: Europa
Images of Europa from NASA spacecraft.