Astronomy Picture of the Day ·

The Cracked Ice Plains of Europa

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for October 22, 1996 is “The Cracked Ice Plains of Europa,” an image. It is credited to Credit: Galileo Project, JPL, NASA. The original explanation runs about 145 words.

The Cracked Ice Plains of Europa
Credit: Galileo Project, JPL, NASA Shown from science.nasa.gov. Not hosted by OpenOrbit.

From the explanation

“What caused the cracks in this giant ice-ball? Jupiter ‘s moon Europa has smoothest surface in the solar system and is composed mostly of cracked water-ice.”

— APOD editors, October 22, 1996

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date
October 22, 1996
Type
Image
Credit
Credit: Galileo Project, JPL, NASA
Copyright
No copyright notice on the entry. Check the credited institution’s own usage rules before reusing it.
Explanation length
About 145 words

All of October 1996 → · 1996 by month → · Full archive since 1995 →

Topics in this entry

Jupiter

Topics are matched from words in the title and explanation.

On this day: October 22 in other years

On Amazon

Popular picks for space fans

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Electronics Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition 32GB Read astronomy and space-history books anywhere. View on Amazon → Electronics Bose QuietComfort Wireless Headphones Noise-cancelling headphones for documentaries and launch livestreams. View on Amazon →

Source

Copy taken Oct 28, 2026, 2:39 AM EDT. The image and explanation belong to their creators. OpenOrbit is not affiliated with or endorsed by NASA.