The Ocean Hidden Inside the Ice Moon

“Byeol-i, why is that moon so white and shiny?”

“That’s Europa, one of Jupiter’s moons. Its whole surface is covered in thick ice, that’s why it shines like that.”

“Just ice? Sounds kind of boring.”

“Actually, scientists think there might be an enormous secret hiding beneath that ice.”

“A secret?”

“Beneath Europa’s icy shell, they believe there’s a massive ocean, one that holds more water than all of Earth’s oceans combined.”

“An ocean under the ice? How do they know that?”

“Europa’s surface is covered in long cracks, which might be traces left behind by liquid moving underneath the ice. And Jupiter’s powerful gravity keeps tugging on Europa, heating up its interior enough that the water under the ice never fully freezes.”

“If there’s water, could there be life in there too?”

“That’s exactly what scientists are most curious about! Even here on Earth, there are creatures living deep in the ocean where no light ever reaches. So they’re hoping something similar might be living in Europa’s ocean too.”

“Whoa, so could we ever drill through that ice and go take a look?”

“Scientists are actually planning missions like that. A spacecraft called Europa Clipper has already launched and is on its way there right now. Drilling through the ice itself is still way too difficult for now, but this mission’s goal is to orbit Europa and observe it as closely as possible.”

“I really want to know what they find.”

“Me too, Hyeongseop. Maybe by the time we’re grown up, we’ll finally know what’s inside Europa’s ocean.”

Hyeongseop stared for a long while at the white icy moon slowly drifting away outside the window. Just thinking that something might really be swimming beneath that hard-looking ice made his heart race.