NASA’s Juno space probe discovered salts and organic compounds on Jupiter’s largest moon, Ganymede. The study was published in the scientific journal magazine Nature Astronomy.
Ganymede is not only the largest moon of Jupiter, but also the largest moon in the solar system. Its width is 5268 kilometers, which is larger than the width of the planet Mercury.
Analysis of Ganymede’s surface revealed the presence of hydrated sodium chloride, ammonium chloride, sodium bicarbonate, and organic aliphatic aldehydes.
Additionally, the elements detected may indicate geothermal activity deep within the moon’s icy surface or interactions between the subsurface ocean and rocks deep within the celestial body.
Nearby Jupiter has such a strong magnetic field that it would be difficult for organic matter and salts to survive on the surface of Jupiter’s moons. But the region around Ganymede’s equator appears to be sufficiently shielded from electrons and heavy ions emitted from the gas giant’s magnetic field to support these connections.
The discovery of these compounds and salts could help astronomers better understand how Ganymede formed and evolved, and perhaps shed light on the chemistry of its subsurface ocean.
The Juno space station was launched in August 2011 and became the second mission to orbit Jupiter, after the Galileo probe. Juno was created to study the weather, magnetic environment and history of the largest planet in our system.
Earlier astronomers to create It’s a good place to look for life in the solar system.