NASA Live: New Images from Jupiter's Moon, Europa

Last week I promised to monitor NASA's live conference about new activity on Europa. Here is a synopsis of the findings:

1. The Hubble Space Telescope was used to monitor Europa using ultraviolet wavelengths;

2. "Additional evidence" of water plumes in the Southern Hemisphere of the moon was detected;

3. This evidence is not confirmed because the capabilities of Hubble were taxed to its limits;

4. The James Webb Space Telescope will be used to determine if water plumes are present and reliable enough to plan an exploratory mission. The JWST will not be launched until October of 2018.

5. Because there is now evidence of water plumes from 2012 and 2014, NASA scientists are confident the JWST will confirm them as a geologic feature of Europa.

Below are captures of some slides from the presentation:



This is an artist's conception of the plumes, showing their location in the Southern Hemisphere.



The evidence for plumes was accumulated in 2014. When asked why they're just now being shared with the public, a NASA spokesperson said it took that long to confirm and interpret the data from Hubble. He also said that the plumes seem to be variable in their ejections of water.



Here is an artist's conception of the mechanism that drives the plumes.



This conception illustrates how a plume might originate.



The James Webb Space Telescope will have an 8-meter composite mirror. It will be used to determine if Hubble's findings are accurate.

By the way, NASA has decided not to scuttle Hubble after the JWST is functional. It will be used to supplement the new telescope's abilities. That's a good thing. It has become a space icon.