Life past Earth: NASA’s Webb Telescope detects CO2 on floor of Jupiter’s Moon Europa

Published: September 22, 2023

Astronomers, utilizing the James Webb Space Telescope, have found carbon dioxide on Jupiter’s moon Europa. This carbon dioxide most probably got here from the water beneath Europa’s icy floor, relatively than from exterior sources like meteors. This discovering means that Europa’s underground ocean may include carbon, a vital ingredient for all times.

This graphic shows a map of Europa’s surface with NIRCam (Near Infrared Camera) on NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope in the first panel and compositional maps derived from Webb’s NIRSpec/IFU (Near Infrared Spectrograph’s Integral Field Unit) data in the following three panels. (Science Credit: Geronimo Villanueva (NASA/GSFC), Samantha Trumbo (Cornell Univ.), NASA, ESA, CSA. Image Processing Credit: Geronimo Villanueva (NASA/GSFC), Alyssa Pagan (STScI)) — This graphic exhibits a map of Europa’s floor with NIRCam (Near Infrared Camera) on NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope within the first panel and compositional maps derived from Webb’s NIRSpec/IFU (Near Infrared Spectrograph’s Integral Field Unit) knowledge within the following three panels. (Science Credit: Geronimo Villanueva (NASA/GSFC), Samantha Trumbo (Cornell Univ.), NASA, ESA, CSA. Image Processing Credit: Geronimo Villanueva (NASA/GSFC), Alyssa Pagan (STScI))

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on Thursday shared these findings, revealing that carbon dioxide is most concentrated in an space referred to as Tara Regio, which is a comparatively younger area with disrupted floor ice. This means that there could have been an trade of supplies between the ocean beneath and the icy floor.

Why is that this discovery essential?

Well, Europa is without doubt one of the few locations in our photo voltaic system the place life might exist. Scientists knew there was a salty ocean beneath its icy shell, however they weren’t certain if it had the fitting chemical compounds for all times, particularly carbon.

Geronimo Villanueva of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center defined, “On Earth, life likes chemical diversity – the more diversity, the better. We’re carbon-based life. Understanding the chemistry of Europa’s ocean will help us determine whether it’s hostile to life as we know it, or if it might be a good place for life.”

Now, scientists consider they’ve proof that the carbon on Europa’s floor comes from its ocean.

“Previous observations from the Hubble Space Telescope show evidence for ocean-derived salt in Tara Regio,” defined Trumbo. “Now we’re seeing that carbon dioxide is heavily concentrated there as well. We think this implies that the carbon probably has its ultimate origin in the internal ocean.”

Also, carbon dioxide does not stick round on Europa’s floor for a very long time, so that they consider it probably got here from the ocean comparatively not too long ago.

NASA plans to launch its Europa Clipper spacecraft in October 2024, which is able to make shut flybys of Europa to analyze additional if it might certainly help life.

Source web site: www.hindustantimes.com