Europa takes a simple question and makes it a challenge: Which of these are frying pans, and which is Jupiter’s moon? Eight of these are of cookware, and one is of a planetary object. How can this be so tricky?!
These are real photographs, which leads to a second question: Just what are people doing to their frying pans to make them look like this? I feel a new and unfamiliar empathy towards abused cast iron. Somebody whisk these poor, helpless chunks of singed cookware for a thorough salt scrub and oil them up for a long, deep bake.
Europa is the fascinating moon of Jupiter with the potential of subsurface oceans containing more water than we have on Earth and evidence of icy plate tectonics. This warm and liquid environment is why everyone is so eager to explore. Once you’ve made your guess, you can check out more photographs of Europa in this remastered view, or this gorgeous close-up.
Image credit: NASA