Europa The Ocean Moon: Search For An Alien Biosphere (Springer Praxis Books / Geophysical Sciences)

**Europa – The Ocean Moon** tells the story of the Galileo spacecraft probe to Jupiter's moon, Europa. It provides a detailed description of the physical processes, including the dominating tidal forces that operate on Europa, and includes a comprehensive tour of Europa using images taken by Galileo's camera. The book reviews and evaluates the interpretative work carried out to date, providing a philosophical discussion of the scientific process of analyzing results and the pitfalls that accompany it. It also examines the astrobiological constraints on this possible biosphere, and implications for future research, exploration and planetary biological protection. **Europa – The Ocean Moon** provides a unique understanding of the Galileo images of Europa, discusses the theory of tidal processes that govern its icy ridged and disrupted surface, and examines in detail the physical setting that might sustain extra-terrestrial life in Europa's ocean and icy crust. Europa, The Ocean Moon will provide a historical perspective, and tell the story of the Galileo spacecraft probe project and the mission results as viewed from the inside. The text will provide a detailed description of the physical processes, including the massive tidal forces that operate on Europa. The book will also include a comprehensive tour of Europa extensively using Galileo's scanned images. The text then turns to a detailed review and evaluation of interpretive work to date, providing a philosophical discussion of the scientific process of interpretation of results and the pitfalls that go with that. This discussion will be integrated into a 'big picture' of what Europa is like, with an examination of the astrobiological constraints in this possible biosphere, and implications for planning future research, exploration, and planetary biological protection. TOC:1.History: Copernicus and Galileo 2. Resonance and Tides 3.Detailed tour of the surface 4.Epistemological issues 5. Further theoretical aspects 6. Detailed interpretation of images 7. Summary of the big picture 8. A habitable setting 9. Implications for further exploration "Europa - The Ocean Moon tells the story of the Galileo spacecraft probe to Jupiter's moon, Europa. It provides a detailed description of the physical processes, including the dominating tidal forces, that operate on Europa, and includes a comprehensive tour of Europa using images taken by Galileo's camera." "The book then reviews and evaluates the interpretive work carried out to date, providing a philosophical discussion of the scientific process of analysing results and the pitfalls that accompany it. This discussion is integrated into an hypothesis of what Europa is like, with an examination of the astrobiological constraints on this possible biosphere, and implications for future research, exploration, and planetary biological protection."--Jacket

This story of the Galileo spacecraft probe to Jupiter's moon provides a unique understanding of the Galileo images of Europa, and examines in detail the physical setting that might sustain extra-terrestrial life in Europa's ocean and icy crust.

Brisk tidal water sweeps over creatures clawed into the ice, bearing a fleet of jellyfish and other floaters to the source of their nourishment.