Europa Waters ~ possibly the nucleation point of all life in our solar system.

​Europa, a Jovian moon, is significant. When Galileo Galilei first discovered Europa and Jupiter’s three other large moons, Io, Ganymede, and Callisto on January 8th, 1610, our universal view changed. This was the first observation of moons orbiting other planets and disproved Earth as the center of motion of the heavens.​

I question what is the Goldilocks zone of a system when studying Europa. Strong tidal forces from Jupiter’s strong gravitational pull on Europa internally heats the moon keeping a subsurface ocean liquid beneath the icy surface. Jupiter’s magnetic field induces electrical currents within the salty waters and in turn powers Europa’s own magnetic field, a necessary shield for the life aboard the moon.​

In Greek mythology, Europa was a beautiful princess who was carried off to Crete by Zeus, who disguised himself as a bull. The moon of Jupiter and the continent of Europe are named after her.​Europa with Zeus shown in a watercolor portrait by Gustave Moreau in 1869.
Style: Symbolism