Question 1

True or false: Europa was discovered by Galileo Galilei in 1610 using a telescope.

Accepted Answer

True. Galileo spotted Europa along with Io, Ganymede, and Callisto in January 1610, proving not everything orbits Earth.

Question 2

True or false: Europa's surface temperature can reach a balmy 50 degrees Fahrenheit at its equator.

Accepted Answer

False. Europa's surface averages a frigid -260°F (-160°C) at the equator, far too cold for liquid water on the surface.

Question 3

True or false: Europa's surface is covered in cracks and ridges from tidal flexing caused by Jupiter's gravity.

Accepted Answer

True. Jupiter's immense gravity stretches and compresses Europa, cracking its icy crust into a chaotic, fractured landscape.

Question 4

True or false: Europa's ocean may contain more than twice the water of all Earth's oceans combined.

Accepted Answer

True. Europa's subsurface ocean is estimated to be 60-150 km deep, holding about 2-3 times the volume of Earth's oceans.

Question 5

True or false: Europa has a thick atmosphere of nitrogen and methane similar to Titan.

Accepted Answer

False. Europa has an extremely tenuous oxygen atmosphere, not thick nitrogen-methane like Titan. It's nearly a vacuum.

Question 6

True or false: Europa's ocean is likely salty, similar to Earth's seas, making it a key target in the search for life.

Accepted Answer

True. Magnetic field data suggests Europa's ocean is salty and conductive, hinting at a brine similar to Earth's oceans.

Question 7

True or false: Europa orbits Jupiter every 3.5 days, exactly half the time of Io.

Accepted Answer

False. Europa orbits Jupiter in about 3.55 days, but Io orbits in 1.77 days—exactly half, not the other way around.

Question 8

True or false: Europa has ice spikes called penitentes that can reach 15 meters tall on its surface.

Accepted Answer

True. Radar data and modeling suggest Europa's equator may host penitentes—tall, blade-like ice formations—due to sublimation.

Europa Trivia Questions