Why is Europa a target for finding extraterrestrial life?

Europa is a place in space that scientists think might have water underneath its icy surface, just like how we have lakes and oceans here on Earth.

Imagine you have an ice cream sandwich, the ice cream is frozen and solid. But if you put it in the microwave for a little while, the ice cream starts to melt inside, even though the outside is still cold. That’s kind of what happens with Europa. It has a thick layer of ice on top, but underneath that ice, there might be a big ocean, and scientists think that ocean might have liquid water, just like our oceans here on Earth.

• It’s close to Jupiter, which is a giant planet. Sometimes, being near a big planet can cause the ice to move around and even create tidal waves under the surface, kind of like when you shake a bottle of soda and bubbles pop up.
• Scientists believe that underneath all that ice, there might be liquid water, and maybe even life, just like in Earth's oceans!

So Europa is like a giant frozen candy bar with a secret ocean inside. And scientists are excited because they think that hidden ocean could have life in it!