There is less oxygen on the surface of Jupiter’s moon than thought – study
[ad_1]
Europa is a satellite of Jupiter
NASA
There is less oxygen on the icy surface of Jupiter’s moon Europa than previously thought. This reduces the chances of finding life in its “underground” ocean.
This is evidenced by the results of the study, published in the scientific journal Nature Astronomy, informs The Guardian.
Astronomers analyzed data collected in 2022 by NASA’s Juno spacecraft during its flyby of Jupiter’s moon Europa. The distance between them was then only 353 kilometers.
According to scientists’ calculations, 6 to 18 kilograms of oxygen are produced on Europa’s surface every second. However, previous estimates were much higher – 1100 kilograms per second.
As the researchers note, this indicates less capacity to support life.
At the same time, according to NASA scientist Kevin Hand, even in the complete absence of oxygen, microbes can still exist in the ocean. It is believed to be located at a depth of many kilometers under the frozen crust. It is not yet possible to draw conclusions about other organisms.
In the fall, NASA plans to launch the new Europa Clipper spacecraft, which will make dozens of close flybys of Europa for further research.
We will recall the James Webb telescope discovered a carbon source on one of Jupiter’s moons.
[ad_2]
Original Source Link
