Newly released NASA images show possible water plumes erupting on Jupiterâs Europa moon.
The findings were presented by scientists Monday afternoon during a teleconference.
The images, taken by NASAâs Hubble space telescope, support previous Hubble observations that suggest the âicy moonâ erupts with âhigh altitude water vapor plumes,â officials said.
NASA astrophysics director Paul Hertz said the finding increases âour confidenceâ that future missions to Europa may be able to sample its subsurface ocean without having to drill âinto miles of ice.â
The plumes are estimated to rise to a height of approximately 200 kilometres before âraining material back downâ onto the moonâs surface.
Europaâs âglobalâ ocean contains twice as much water as Earthâs oceans, and is below a layer of extremely cold and hard ice.
A team led by William Sparks, of the Space Telescope Science Institute, spotted âfinger-like projectionsâ while observing Europa as it passed in front of Jupiter in 2014.
However, the scientists say they do not have evidence that shows definitively itâs water plumes they are observing.
âWe remain cautious,â Sparks said during the teleconference.
Itâs not the first time the Hubble space telescope has observed evidence of activity on Europa, one of Jupiterâs many moons.
In late 2013, NASA announced that the telescope had observed water vapour above the âfrigid south polar regionâ of Europa. Scientists said it was the first âstrong evidence of water plumes erupting off the moonâs surface.â
Itâs been a big year for Jupiter itself. In July, NASA spacecraft Juno reached the planet, following a five-year voyage to begin its exploratory mission. Scientists believe that Jupiter formed shortly after the sun. Learning about its past, scientists say, may help to understand how the solar system, including Earth, developed.