ICY SURFACE OF JUPITER MOON EUROPA, 1998-03-29 (photo)

This area of Jupiter's moon Europa shows several types of features which are formed by disruptions of Europa's icy crust. The prominent wide, dark bands are up to 20 kilometers (12 miles) wide and over 50 kilometers (30 miles) long and are believed to have formed when Europa's icy crust fractured, separated and filled in with darker, 'dirtier' ice or slush from below. The images from the Galileo probe add to evidence that an ocean below the cracked, icy crust was once warm and salty and thus theoretically capable of supporting life. James Crowley, a geologist with the U.S. Geological Survey and one of the researchers who published the study in the journal Science, said the data showed that salt absorption patterns on Europa were similar to those on earth. This image covers an area about 240 by 215 kilometers (150 by 130 miles) across. The image was taken as Galileo flew by Europa on March 29, 1998. RC/ME