For the first time, we have discovered proof of water vapor in the atmosphere of Ganymede, Jupiter’s largest moon, adding to the growing evidence of the potential for life on frozen moons. Researchers have long believed that Ganymede has vast amounts of water, possibly more than Earth. However, given Ganymede’s distance from the Sun, it was presumed that water could only exist as a solid under a thick layer of ice.

Ganymede is thought to have three layers: an iron core, a rocky mantle, and a layer of water that is both liquid and frozen. The outer ice shell is incredibly thick, at around 500 miles or 800 km, and there could be liquid water beneath it. Where there is water, there may be life, making the discovery of water vapor on Ganymede very exciting.

Lorenz Roth, a researcher from the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden, discovered the water vapor using Hubble. He was measuring the amount of oxygen on Ganymede as part of a more extensive program of observations. Roth and his team used data from two telescopes, Hubble’s Cosmic Origins Spectrograph from 2018 and images from the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) taken between 1998 and 2010.

The discovery is exciting because, until now, researchers had only found frozen water on the surface. However, Roth and his team found that the surface temperature of Ganymede changes significantly throughout the day, and around noon, the equatorial parts of the moon can become warm enough to cause a few water molecules to sublimate or convert from solid to gas form.

The water vapor discovery fits with what researchers have already observed with Hubble. Around the equator, Roth found what he initially believed to be oxygen but now thinks is water vapor. The discovery is also significant because it gives the upcoming European Space Agency’s JUICE spacecraft more valuable information that may be used to refine observation plans to optimize the spacecraft’s use. The mission will spend three years studying Jupiter and its biggest moons, including Ganymede, in great detail.

The discovery of water vapor on Ganymede adds to the growing evidence of the potential for life on frozen moons. Astronomers have been looking at Jupiter and Saturn’s frozen moons as potential places for life to start. These moons used to be thought of as barren, frozen wastelands, but the more we look at them, the more likely it seems that life could exist on them. However, it’s essential to note that just because Ganymede could support life doesn’t mean it does, and further research is required to determine whether life exists there.

In conclusion, the discovery of water vapor on Ganymede is an exciting development in our search for extraterrestrial life. It adds to the growing evidence of the potential for life on frozen moons and gives scientists valuable information to refine observation plans for the upcoming JUICE mission. While there is still much research to be done, this discovery marks a significant step forward in our understanding of the potential for life in our solar system.

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