More than twenty years old data obtained by the American Galileo probe National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has now allowed researchers to confirm that ammonia compounds are present on the moon Europa. Nitrogen-containing matter is a key element for life as we know it Earth. The finding thus strengthened the theory that the Jupiter’s the companion may or may have had life in the past.
“The first such discovery on Europa may have significant implications for assessing the habitability of the icy moon, which we consider to be one of the most suitable places Solar systems for the existence of extraterrestrial life,” confirmed researcher Al Emran of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Experts in studied published in The Planetary Science Journal, described that they detected faint ammonia signals near cracks in the moon’s frozen surface. They believe that the compounds were ejected from the depths of the body by cryovolcanic activity.
NASA discovered traces of ammonia on the moon Europa:
“Ammonia is short-lived in the space environment. Its finding around cracks suggests active deposition of the compound originating from the subsurface ocean or shallow subsurface (the upper layers of the Earth’s crust just below the surface – ed.),” explained Emran.
Scientists also consider the findings to be a demonstration of how modern technologies can be used to analyze even decades-old data to obtain important new knowledge. “They also represent an attractive target for the Europa Clipper mission, which will reach the moon in April 2030,” they added.
The search for extraterrestrial life
In the end Europa Clipper launched to Jupiter’s moon already in November 2024. Once there, her task will be to study the ocean under the ice and analyze whether microbes could live there. It will explore the surface and subsurface ocean using nine specialized instruments.
The Europa Clipper probe will also search for extraterrestrial life on Jupiter’s moon:
“The device will discover more information about the atmosphere, the ice cover, the ocean, the rocky interior, the core and the surrounding space environment,” he told CNN project scientist Robert Pappalardo of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
As part of the mission, NASA plans to further investigate how the ice shell freezes and how it coexists with the subsurface ocean. Experts also want data on the causes of jets, which they previously observed through cracks in the ice.
The device may depending on the server Space also reveal what nutrients the water dissolves for potential organisms. According to current assumptions, the ocean has a rocky bottom where hydrothermal activity occurs.
The possibility of extraterrestrial life in Europe is also supported by the recent discoveries of substances such as carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus and sulphur. These are combined into so-called organic molecules.
Europa moon
- It is the smallest of the so-called Galilean moons. On average, it has 3100 kilometers, so it is a little smaller than Month our planet.
- It is the second closest Galilean moon to Jupiter. When including the smaller satellites of the planet, it is up to sixth.
- Europe was discovered in the 17th century by a Tuscan astronomer Galileo Galilei. The German astronomer Simon Marius also saw it independently of him.
- The moon was named after one of the lovers of the god Zeus and the daughter of Europa, the king of Tyria. It was designed by Marius.
What does Europa look like:
Source: NASA
date:2026-02-08 04:20:00
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