Europa Facts for Kids

A Picture of Jupiter's Moon Europa
  • Moon Name: Europa
  • Formed: Around 4.5 billion years ago
  • Discovered: January 8th 1610 by Galileo Galilei
  • Distance from Jupiter: Between 413,126 miles (perigee) and 420,629 miles (apogee)
  • Distance from the Sun: Around 484,000,000 miles
  • Time to Orbit Around Jupiter: About 3 and a half Earth days
  • Total Surface Area: 19,021,969 square miles

13 Europa Facts for Kids

  1. Europa formed around 4.5 billion years ago.
  2. Europa was discovered by Galileo Galilei on January 8th, 1610.
  3. Europa is one of Jupiter’s seventy-nine known moons.
  4. Europa has a radius of about 969 miles.
  5. The closest Europa gets to Jupiter is 413,126 miles (perigee).
  6. The farthest Europa gets from Jupiter is 420,629 miles (apogee).
  7. It takes Europa about three and a half Earth days to orbit the planet Jupiter.
  8. Jupiter’s moon Europa is one of the most likely locations in our Solar System that could potentially harbor life.
  9. Europa has a very thin atmosphere that is primarily oxygen.
  10. The surface of Europa is mostly comprised of solid water ice.
  11. The surface temperature of Europa is never warmer than -260 degrees Fahrenheit.
  12. It’s possible that Europa might have twice as much water under its surface than all the water on Earth.
  13. As of 2019, Europa has been visited by five spacecrafts. The spacecrafts names were Pioneer 10 (1973), Pioneer 11 (1974), Voyager 1 (1979), Voyager 2 (1979) and Galileo (Between 1995 and 2003).

Additional Resources on Jupiter’s Moon Europa

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