Moon of Jupiter prime candidate for alien life after water blast found

Nasa's Galileo spacecraft flew through a giant plume of water that erupted from the icy surface of Europa, new analysis shows

A Nasa probe that explored Jupiter's moon Europa flew through a giant plume of water vapour that erupted from the icy surface and reached a hundred miles high, according to a fresh analysis of the spacecraft's data.

The discovery has cemented the view among some scientists that the Jovian moon, one of four first spotted by the Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei in 1610, is the most promising place in the solar system to hunt for alien life.