Audubon Aquarium Hosts NASA's "Voyage of the Europa Clipper" Exhibit
New Orleans - Audubon Aquarium is thrilled to announce that it will host a special exhibit pop-up, “Voyage of Europa Clipper: Exploring an Alien Ocean,” created by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), July 9-14, 2024. This captivating exhibit experience is part of JPL’s engagement activities leading up to the highly anticipated launch of the Europa Clipper mission in October 2024.
Jupiter’s moon Europa shows strong evidence for an ocean of liquid water beneath its icy crust. Beyond Earth, Europa is considered one of the most promising currently habitable environments in our solar system. Below Europa’s icy surface, evidence suggests there is a global ocean with more water than all of Earth’s oceans combined. Europa could have all the “ingredients” needed for life as we know it: water, organic, energy, and stability.
The Europa Clipper exhibit is intended to bridge the aquatic wonders of Earth with the exploration of ocean worlds beyond our planet. This immersive experience is designed to inform, captivate and energize visitors, amplifying excitement and anticipation for the Europa Clipper mission. It underscores NASA and JPL’s commitment to involving the public in the groundbreaking journey to another ocean world.
Exhibit Details
● Name: Voyager of Europa Clipper: Exploring an Alien Ocean
● Date: July 9-14, 2024
● Location: Audubon Aquarium, 1 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA, 70130
● Time: 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
● Admission: Free
Exhibit Highlights
● Interactive Experiments: Participate in hands-on experiments that explain the sophisticated instruments onboard the spacecraft.
● Spacecraft and Instrument Models: Explore detailed models of the Europa Clipper spacecraft and its instruments, designed to draw parallels between the life-sustaining oceans on Earth and the subsurface ocean on Europa.
● Inflatable Model of Europa: Get an up-close look at a stunning inflatable model of Europa, one of Jupiter’s moons, known for its subsurface ocean.
● Educational Graphics: Learn about Europa’s intriguing history and its potential for harboring life through engaging and informative graphics.
● Creative Activities: Enjoy activities that blend science with art, designed to excite the public of all ages.
Special Speaker
We are honored to have Shawn Brooks, Europa Clipper UVS Investigation Scientist, who will provide an insightful talk on the Europa Clipper mission, offering an in-depth look at the science and goals behind this ambitious exploration of Jupiter’s moon Europa. He will speak at the Europa Clipper exhibit on Saturday, July 13, 2024 and Sunday, July 14, 2024.
About the Europa Clipper Mission
NASA's Europa Clipper spacecraft will perform approximately 50 close flybys of the moon, gathering detailed measurements to investigate whether the moon could have conditions suitable for life. Europa Clipper is not a life detection mission – its main science goal is to determine whether there are places below Europa’s surface that could support life. Europa Clipper’s three main science objectives are to determine the thickness of the moon’s icy shell and its surface interactions with the ocean below, to investigate its composition, and to characterize its geology. The mission’s detailed exploration of Europa will help scientists better understand the astrobiological potential for habitable worlds beyond our planet.
Managed by Caltech in Pasadena, California, JPL leads the development of the Europa Clipper mission in partnership with the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington.
To learn more about the mission, visit europa.nasa.gov.
About Audubon Aquarium
Located on the Mississippi River adjacent to the French Quarter, Audubon Aquarium is consistently top ranked, voted as one of the top five in the country in the USA Today “10Best” reader poll and ranked as one of the top things to do in New Orleans. The Aquarium transports visitors to an underwater world from the Caribbean to the Amazon Rainforest, to the waters that give New Orleans its lifeblood: the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. With more than 3,600 animals from more than 250 species, including endangered species, such as African penguins, and rare animals, such as white alligators, the Aquarium offers you an experience you’ll never forget.
NASA contact:
Gretchen McCartney
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory
818-393-6215