Theodore von Karman Lecture

Europa is one of the best targets in the solar system for finding existing life. Strong evidence from NASA's Galileo spacecraft suggests that Jupiter's moon Europa has a very large ocean of liquid salty water in contact with the icy outer crust. Atomic particles trapped in Jupiter's powerful magnetic field crash into Europa's icy surface with great energy, producing chemical compounds that could be used by living things. Europa's seafloor could be heated by the moon's constant flexing, driving hydrothermal activity similar to undersea volcanoes in Earth's oceans.

This world has piqued the curiosity of scientists, who are trying to figure out how best to visit Europa and what kind of technology would be required to explore it.

This event is free and open to the public. Seating is on a first come, first served basis.