Post by account_disabled on Feb 20, 2024 4:21:14 GMT -5
Europa, which is slightly smaller than Earth's moon, is covered by a crust of water ice that envelops a saltwater ocean. The presence of liquid water makes Europa an intriguing exploration object for scientists interested in extraterrestrial life . But until now, no one had shown that the ocean contained the right molecules, particularly carbon, which is a fundamental component of life on Earth. The new detection by JWST is intriguing because the carbon dioxide does not appear to have been transported by a meteorite or asteroid and appears in a geologically young region of the moon called Tara Regio, suggesting that the gas may have formed within the moon itself. moon. "Previous observations by the Hubble Space Telescope show evidence of salt coming from the ocean at Tara Regio," Cornell University planetary scientist Samantha Trumbo said in a statement. statement.
Now we are seeing that carbon dioxide is also very concentrated there. "We think this implies that the carbon probably has its ultimate origin in the internal ocean." Related: James Webb Telescope Discovers Job Function Email Database Giant Geyser on Saturn's Moon, Shooting Water Hundreds of Miles into Space Trumbo is the lead author of one of two papers on the new observations of Europa published in the journal Science on September 21. Thanks to the power of JWST, researchers needed just a few minutes of the observatory's time to discern new details about Europa. Heidi Hammel said in the statement the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy. The researchers found signs of both crystalline and amorphous carbon dioxide in Europa. (“Amorphous” refers to a disorganized molecular shape, compared to the rigid patterns of crystals.) They observed high concentrations in what astronomers call "regions of chaos," where the surface crust has been altered and movement of materials between layers is likely. crust and inner ocean.
Because carbon dioxide does not remain stable for long on Europa's surface, researchers believe that the carbon emerged from the ocean relatively recently. The surface of Europa has an average age of about 60 million years, as estimated by the few craters that mark the ice, according to research . Chaos terrain is generally younger than average. Scientists are planning two missions to Europa in the coming years. NASA's Clipper mission, expected to launch in 2024, will provide observations of the moon from orbit, focusing on the search for molecules and conditions conducive to life. Meanwhile, the European Space Agency launched the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) spacecraft in April; It will arrive at the gas giant in . That ship will carry out 35 flybys of the three moons Europa, Ganymede and Callisto.
Now we are seeing that carbon dioxide is also very concentrated there. "We think this implies that the carbon probably has its ultimate origin in the internal ocean." Related: James Webb Telescope Discovers Job Function Email Database Giant Geyser on Saturn's Moon, Shooting Water Hundreds of Miles into Space Trumbo is the lead author of one of two papers on the new observations of Europa published in the journal Science on September 21. Thanks to the power of JWST, researchers needed just a few minutes of the observatory's time to discern new details about Europa. Heidi Hammel said in the statement the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy. The researchers found signs of both crystalline and amorphous carbon dioxide in Europa. (“Amorphous” refers to a disorganized molecular shape, compared to the rigid patterns of crystals.) They observed high concentrations in what astronomers call "regions of chaos," where the surface crust has been altered and movement of materials between layers is likely. crust and inner ocean.
Because carbon dioxide does not remain stable for long on Europa's surface, researchers believe that the carbon emerged from the ocean relatively recently. The surface of Europa has an average age of about 60 million years, as estimated by the few craters that mark the ice, according to research . Chaos terrain is generally younger than average. Scientists are planning two missions to Europa in the coming years. NASA's Clipper mission, expected to launch in 2024, will provide observations of the moon from orbit, focusing on the search for molecules and conditions conducive to life. Meanwhile, the European Space Agency launched the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) spacecraft in April; It will arrive at the gas giant in . That ship will carry out 35 flybys of the three moons Europa, Ganymede and Callisto.