Inedite osservazioni di Europa, una delle lune di Giove, effettuate nelle ultime settimane dalla NASA, hanno evidenziato quelli che possono assomigliare a getti di vapore acqueo. L’Ente spaziale statunitense ha dichiarato che si tratta di una scoperta “molto esaltante”.
Europa, una delle 67 lune di Giove, possiede un vasto oceano celato da una spessa crosta di ghiaccio. Viene considerata dagli esperti uno dei luoghi più promettenti del sistema solare in cui la vita potrebbe svilupparsi.
I particolari geyser osservati dalla NASA, una volta che la loro presenza sarà confermata senza dubbi, potrebbe consentire, nel futuro, l’invio di robot che potrebbero recuperare campioni di acqua senza dover procedere a lunghi foraggi nel ghiaccio. Le immagini arrivano dal telescopio Hubble e l’intera ricerca, condotta da un ricercatore dello Space Telescope Science Institut di Baltimora (USA) sarà pubblicata sulla rivista Astrophysical Journal.
ATS/AFP/Swing
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