Europa

Europa is the sixth-closest moon of the planet Jupiter, and the sixth-largest moon in the Solar System. It was discovered in 1610 by Galileo Galilei and is named after Europa, the Phoenician mother of King Minos of Crete and one of Zeus's lovers in Greek mythology. In Hebrew, Europa is known as "אירופה" (Eiroopa). In Latin, it is "Europa"; in Spanish, "Europa"; in French, "Europe"; in German, "Europa"; in Italian, "Europa"; and in Russian, "Европа" (Yevropa). Europa is primarily made of silicate rock and has a water-ice crust, with a very thin atmosphere composed mostly of oxygen. It is one of the smoothest objects in the Solar System, with a surface that appears to be striated by fractures and streaks, although it shows no signs of current geological activity. Beneath its surface, Europa is believed to have a global ocean of liquid water, making it a strong candidate for potentially harboring extraterrestrial life. This hypothesis has been the focus of several ambitious scientific missions. Europa's orbit around Jupiter is slightly eccentric, causing tidal flexing that generates heat and helps maintain its subsurface ocean in a liquid state.