10 Places Most Likely To Harbour Alien Life
7. Europa
Over the years, many missions to discover the secrets of our solar system have thrown up some interesting findings about Europa, one of Jupiter's many moons.
The moon's surface appears to be made up of solid ice, but it is almost unnaturally smooth. As most bodies in the solar system are pockmarked with impact craters, Europa's youthful appearance suggests that it is being continually renewed, in turn suggesting high levels of geological activity.
The mysterious surface is also marked by great lines called linea which crisscross its surface. By tracking these linea, we have observed that they are slowly but surely moving across the surface, evidence of potential tectonic or volcanic activity beneath the icy crust.
If this is indeed the case, then the ocean beneath the moon's surface could be home to the kind of life-forms that flourish around volcanic hydrothermal vents in the deepest oceans here on Earth.
Like Enceladus, Europa appears to be ejecting huge jets of water through holes in its surface, this means that future missions could fly through them and collect samples to analyse for the markers of life.