New observations by the James Webb Space Telescope have identified carbon dioxide originating from one of Jupiter’s moons, Europa.
Carbon may exist beneath the moon’s icy surface according to two new studies. Considering that carbon is an important element for life on Earth, this strengthens the moon’s potential to host extraterrestrial life.
Artist’s concept of a simulated view of the icy surface of the moon Europa with Jupiter looming on the horizon; Photo: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Europa has long been considered a region where extraterrestrial life is possible. This is because the 2,000 mile wide moon is covered in a layer of ice 10 to 15 miles thick.
It may initially seem like an unlikely place for life to form considering surface temperatures on Europa range from minus 210 to minus 370 degrees Fahrenheit. The moon orbits Jupiter in an oval or egg shape, so it constantly shifts in and out of the planet’s gravitational pull.
Researchers speculate that this pattern could have compressed the moon, causing heat to build up beneath the icy surface and creating a salty ocean that stretches about 40 to 100 miles deep. This means the moon contains more water than twice the volume of Earth’s oceans combined.
“For life, you need liquid water, the right chemicals, an energy source and enough time for life to develop,” Andrew Coates, a physicist at University College London’s Mullard Space Science Laboratory who was not involved in the work, told the Guardian. “We think all of that is possible on Europa.”
Although scientists have previously detected carbon dioxide on Europa’s surface, they were unable to determine whether the carbon came from an external source (such as a meteorite) or from an ocean that lies beneath the moon’s icy surface. But new analysis conducted by the James Webb Space Telescope shows that the carbon comes from Europa.
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🧬James NASA/ESA/CSA #Web The Space Telescope has detected carbon dioxide on the surface of Jupiter’s icy moon Europa.
🌊 Analysis shows that this carbon most likely comes from beneath Europa’s ocean surface and is not produced by any other external source. pic.twitter.com/PlYXj8pCqD
— ESA (@esa) 21 September 2023
“This is a big deal and I’m very excited about it,” said Christopher Glen, a geochemist at the Southwest Research Institute and co-author of a new paper about the discovery. “We don’t know yet whether there really is life in Europa’s oceans. However, this new finding adds to the evidence that Europa’s oceans could be a good place to harbor extant life. The environment looks tempting from an astrobiology perspective.”
The telescope observations were analyzed by two independent teams, both of whom published documents reporting their conclusions in Science. The researchers found that carbon dioxide was most abundant in Tara Regio, a region of the moon with a geologically young surface called the “chaos field.”
“Exactly what it sounds like. It’s messy,” said Emily Martin, a planetary geologist at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum who was not involved in the new study. “What we think is happening, when it comes to chaotic terrain, is that at some point, the surface gets hot enough to break apart into small ice rafts—in some cases, large ice rafts—making the entirety of Tara Regio impenetrable. these fragmented puzzle pieces float around in the now frozen, icy, liquid matrix.”
In the icy crust of Jupiter’s moon Europa, Webb has found carbon dioxide that likely comes from the ocean of liquid water beneath it. Understanding the chemistry of these oceans can help determine whether they are good places for life as we know it: pic.twitter.com/4C4JjZMCBw
— Telescope Webb NASA (@NASAWebb) 21 September 2023
The lunar surface has been disturbed in this region, possibly causing an exchange of material between the ice and the underlying ocean that allows carbon dioxide from the water to rise to the surface.
NASA plans to launch the Europa Clipper spacecraft in 2024, the first mission that will conduct detailed reconnaissance of the icy moon. The researchers hope that this will allow them to gain further insight into the moon’s potential for extraterrestrial life.
2023-10-19 02:32:34
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