Worried about Corona Virus? Desperate for a summer holiday? Looking for somewhere off the beaten track, not over-run by tourists and Corona free?
An article on the Astrobites website looks at the possibility of the Galilean moons as potential possibilities.
I have posted the astrobites article on the “general Items” page ( HERE ) and the address for the actual article is HERE, but in summary the best bet looks like Callisto.
Io : the closest to Jupiter, is the most geologically active of the moons due to the tidal forces from the planet. There are strong enough to cause solid tides where the the surface bulges 100m or so a day. It is also a bit close for the radiation from Jupiter, some 4.5 million times that on earth.
Europa : Although not covered by the astrobites article Europa doesn’t really appeal as a holiday destination. Like our moon one side is always facing Jupiter. It is the smallest of the 4 moons and is comprised of a smooth surface, thought to be ice, overlying an ocean with a iron core. It is the smallest, thus the lowest gravity, subject to strong tidal forces and prone to the eruption of water spouts over 100 miles high and high radiation from Jupiter.
Ganymede : It does have an internal magnetic field, but only a small fraction of the Earth’s, so radiation is definitely still a problem and you would have to stay under ground. Shame really as the sight of Jupiter in the sky, 36 times larger than our moon and amazing aurora, must be something to behold.
Callisto : the furthest of the Galilean moons for Jupiter. This results in a radiation level only 12 times that on Earth, probably fine for a 2 week holiday. There is also plenty of water on the moon so showers and hand washing should be OK.
The other downside is, of course, getting there. No charter flights at the moment and it did take NASA’s Juno probe 5 years to get there!
