spacetoday.net: Scientists detect evidence of Europa plume in Galileo data

Scientists detect evidence of Europa plume in Galileo data

Posted: Sun, May 20, 2018, 1:37 PM ET (1737 GMT)
NASA's Galileo spacecraft flew through a plume of water ejected from the jovian moon Europa, scientists said Monday. Scientists revisited data from a 1997 flyby of Europa by the spacecraft and found a change in the magnetic field and an increase in electron density, which they believe is evidence of a plume of water ejected from the moon. Plumes have been seen in Hubble Space Telescope observations, but only intermittently, and the new analysis provides additional evidence that the plumes exist. While the finding was formally announced Monday, Rep. John Culberson (R-TX) disclosed the finding during a markup session for a spending bill nearly a week earlier.