On April 14, 2023, a sleek rocket took off from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana, in northeast South America. It blasted beyond Earth's atmosphere, soaring into the darkness of space. Onboard was a brand new space probe called the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer, or Juice for short. Juice has an exciting trip ahead. It will travel through our solar system, with its sights set on reaching the planet Jupiter by July 2031. This probe will be so far from Earth-hundreds of millions of miles away—that it needs a 2.5-meter (8.2-foot) antenna to send information to us back home. It is also equipped with large solar panels to provide power. Once near Jupiter, Juice will embark on a planned four-year mission to study the planet and its mysterious icy moons: Ganymede, Callisto, and Europa.
Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) first spotted these moons along with Io (which isn't icy) in 1610. It seemed as if they were all too far from the Sun to have life. Space probes such as Galileo (1989-2003) and Cassini (1997-2017), however, have sparked fresh interest in the possibility of alien life on water-rich worlds. Galileo hinted at the existence of hidden oceans on Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto, and Cassini caught Saturn's moon Enceladus shooting water plumes into space.
Water Could Mean Life
Why is water such a big deal? "Scientists have spent decades looking for life in space, and they start by finding places with water," says Olivier Witasse. He is the project scientist for European Space Agency's Juice mission.
Denne historien er fra March 2024-utgaven av Muse Science Magazine for Kids.
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Denne historien er fra March 2024-utgaven av Muse Science Magazine for Kids.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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A Mars Rock Found With Leopard Spots Could Be a Sign of Ancient Life
IN JULY, NASA'S PERSEVERANCE ROVER CAME ACROSS A SPOTTED ROCK IN WHAT WAS ONCE A RIVERBED IN THE JEZERO CRATER ON MARS.
Para Athlete Uses Exoskeleton Suit to Carry the Olympic Torch
In July, a 36-year-old French tennis para athlete, Kevin Piette, got a chance to participate in this summer’s Olympic torch relay without using a wheelchair.
Ancient Egyptians May Have Used a Water System to Lift Stones to Build Pyramid
HOW ANCIENT EGYPTIANS BUILT THE MASSIVE PYRAMIDS IN EGYPT MORE THAN 4,000 YEARS AGO HAS LONG BEEN A TOPIC OF WONDER AND DEBATE.
Seals Can Make Big Dives Thanks to Their Big Hearts
SEALS AND SEA LIONS, WHICH ARE SEMI-AQUATIC MAMMALS, CAN HOLD THEIR BREATHS UNDERWATER FOR ESPECIALLY LONG PERIODS OF TIME.
THE BIG-CITY LIFE OF STEVEN J.BIKE SHOP RABBIT IN BROOKLYN, NEW YORK
Bicycle Roots is a full-service bike shop. It's in the heart of Brooklyn, New York. Joe Lawler is the co-owner and service manager. Perhaps more important, he's \"dad\" to the shop's most popular employee. That's Steven J. Lawler.
Wild Ones
WHAT FACTORS DRIVE PEOPLE TO BUY MONKEYS, TIGERS, AND OTHER WILD ANIMALS?
HOW TO CONQUER THE WORLD
A brief history
What would happen if meteors hit Earth?
You may have seen Ameteors fly into Earth's atmosphere, in the form of shooting stars.
WORKING WORMS
DON'T JUST THROW THOSE TABLE SCRAPS AWAY! LET A BOX OF WORMS TURN THEM INTO SOMETHING USEFUL.
Dog Rescue Saves Lives
THE ARGUMENT FOR ADOPTING A NO-KILL GOAL
