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On September 29, 2022, Juno passed by Jupiter’s icy moon Europa, at an altitude of only ~350 km over its icy surface. The flyby provided the first close look at the Jovian moon in over 20 years, when NASA’s Galileo spacecraft flew past at a similar distance on January 3, 2000. Results from the Galileo mission suggested a salt water ocean may exist on Europa beneath its icy crust. The study of Europa is of high priority because the existence of a salty ocean suggests the possibility of habitability, as many scientists believe life on Earth may have started in our oceans.

In this session, participants will learn about the successful flyby, Juno’s science objectives for the flyby, and tour Europa through the high-resolution visible images returned.

Sangeeta Gautam is a NASA Solar System Ambassador and a mathematician by education, a space explorer by curiosity, and a peace builder by passion. She has worked on three continents and always made time to empower the next generation through STEM activities wherever she goes. Sangeeta enjoys working in the community and bringing people together to dialogue and explore space and its mysteries. She believes space truly unites us. Her goal is to engage the community in dialogue and make the world a better place for the children of the world. Toward this goal, she joined NASA/JPL as a Solar System Ambassador in 2021 and is the bridge between the community and NASA/JPL.

Organized by the Cary Memorial Library.