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Scientists Think They've Cracked The Mystery of Europa's Weird Rotating Ice Shell
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An illustration of Europa's frozen surface, with Jupiter looming in the sky. (John S. Howard/NASA)The ice shell floats on Europa's ocean, so it can rotate independently from the rest of the moon, including the ocean, rocky interior, and metallic core. Scientists have long suspected this, but the forces driving the shell's rotation have been mysterious.Europa is subject to tidal flexing by Jupiter, which distorts the moon through its powerful gravitational pull.
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