Watch here: http://www.nasa.gov/nasalive
NASA will host a teleconference at 2 p.m. EDT Monday, Sept. 26, to present new findings from images captured by the agency's Hubble Space Telescope of Jupiter's icy moon, Europa.
Astronomers will present results from a unique Europa observing campaign that resulted in surprising evidence of activity that may be related to the presence of a subsurface ocean on Europa.
NASA currently plans to perform additional flybys of Europa and put a lander on the surface as part of the Europa Clipper mission. The ESA's Jupiter Icy Moon Explorer will also fly by Europa twice, but focus on Ganymede.
There's something going on beneath the surface of Jupiter's icy moon Europa. But what?
NASA teased a "surprising" announcement for Monday, based on Hubble Space Telescope images of the celestial body, which many experts believe could contain a subsurface ocean, even possibly some form of life.
The US space agency has already proclaimed that Europa has "strong evidence for an ocean of liquid water beneath its crust and which could host conditions favorable for life."
At Monday's announcement, "astronomers will present results from a unique Europa observing campaign that resulted in surprising evidence of activity that may be related to the presence of a subsurface ocean," it said in a statement.
The announcement will be made at a news conference at 2 pm (1800 GMT) Monday featuring Paul Hertz, NASA's director of astrophysics, and William Sparks, an astronomer with the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore.
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Monday September 26 2016, @02:29PM
We know that to be true on Earth, but does that preclude the development of technology in an aqueous environment? I'm not so sure. On Earth, aquatic species grow intricate structures (sponges, coral). There are also aquatic species that are quite intelligent (whales, dolphins, octopi). There's also the observation that creatures tend to use what's available; TIMTOWTDI. It would be extraordinary to discover intelligent sub-aquatic life that harnesses an organic technology whereby they direct other species to construct their tools and structures for them, using the minerals in solution.
Washington DC delenda est.