Data obtained by NASA’s James Webb telescope led astronomers to identify carbon dioxide (CO2) on the surface of Jupiter’s moon Europa.
This celestial body is one of the few places in the solar system that could harbor conditions suitable for life — although it is not yet known whether the Jupiterian moon contains chemical elements necessary for life, such as carbon.
The analysis indicated that it is likely that the CO2 originated in the subsoil of the salty ocean that covers Europa. This means that the element would not have been delivered by meteorites or other external sources.
Previous research has concluded that beneath the water-ice crust on this moon of Jupiter there is an ocean of liquid water with a rocky seabed. But discovering the presence of a biologically essential element in the region is an important step for scientists.
“On Earth, life likes chemical diversity — the more diversity, the better. We are a carbon-based life. Understanding the chemistry of Europa’s ocean will help us determine whether it is hostile to life as we know it, or whether it might be a good place for life,” said author Geronimo Villanueva of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland. main article of one of the independent articles describing the findings.
The discovery brought by Webb’s data points out that carbon dioxide is most abundant in a region called Tara Regio — a geologically young area.
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Source: CNN Brasil
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