"Measuring Europa's Ice Thickness with Impact Crater Images"

Planetary scientists have used physics and images of impact craters to estimate the thickness of the ice shell on Jupiter's moon, Europa. By studying large craters on Europa's surface, researchers concluded that the ice shell is at least 20 kilometers thick, challenging previous estimates of a thin ice layer over a thick ocean. This finding is crucial for understanding the potential for life on Europa, as the ice shell's thickness influences processes within it and the exchange of material between the surface and the ocean.