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Water

Water ice and water vapor can be found on some of the terrestrial planets and satellites in our Solar System.   Liquid surface water is currently only found on the Earth, although evidence for ancient seas and channels exist on Mars. Data from the Galileo mission suggest a layer of liquid water may exist beneath the icy surface of Europa, one of Jupiter's satellites.

 

Water and Carbon Dioxide Ice
Cap at Mars' South Pole

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NASA Viking Orbiter 2 Image
processed by the U.S. Geological Survey

Ice Rafting on Jupiter's
Satellite Europa

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NASA Image #PIA01127
taken by the Galieo Spacecraft

 

 

Liquid Water Dominates the
Surface of the Earth

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NASA Apollo 17 Image

Water ice may be located in
this impact crater at the
Lunar South Pole.

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Clementine image courtesy
Naval Research Laboratory (NRL)

 

 

 
Water ice may be located below
the surface of mars in layers
of "permafrost".



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Image courtesy of NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory/Arizona State University

 

 

Exploring The Planets
©2002 National Air and Space Museum