Europa moon

Thanks to a surface covered in liquid water, Jupiter's moon Europa serves as the prime suspect for bodies in our solar system harboring extraterrestrial life. For the most part though, speculation has assumed the life on Europa would be microscopic, similar to the chemical and rock-eating microbes found atop undersea volcanic vents on Earth. However, a new study estimates the level of oxygen in Europa's seas may be high enough to support fish-sized life. Hello, alien sushi.

Image of Europa a moon of Jupiter.

Ars learns some exclusive details about a daring lander for Jupiter’s icy moon.

Jupiter’s moon Europa. Image Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech. NASA laboratory experiments suggest the dark material coating some geological features of Jupiter’s moon Europa is likely sea salt from a subsurface ocean, discolored by exposure to radiation. The presence of sea salt on Europa’s surface suggests the ocean is interacting with its rocky seafloor – an important consideration in determining whether the icy moon could support life.

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NASA scientists in Antarctica have tested a new underwater rover BRUIE that they believe could help them find life on Europa.