Jupiter's icy moon Europa

© NASA/JPL-Caltech/SETI Institut

A blue moon. World Space Week begins

Today, we're blasting off to explore the cosmos. World Space Week is a celebration of all the science and technology that go into exploring and researching our universe, and how it benefits us back on Earth. As well as helping us to understand the universe we live in, space exploration has played an important role in helping scientists develop new medicines, create new power sources and even improve farming techniques. This year's theme is Space and Climate Change; events will be held in 83 countries to celebrate the vital role that space technology plays in understanding and monitoring how Earth's climate is changing.

Space exploration has also led to amazing photographs of our solar system, like the one featured here today. Europa is one of Jupiter's 95 known moons. Its surface is mainly made up of frozen water, which has broken up and refrozen, creating the patterns seen on its surface. In fact, although Europa is just a quarter of the size of Earth, it may contain two times the amount of water found in our planet's oceans. Space Week is the perfect time to take a moment to appreciate the wonders of our solar system and beyond!