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NASA's Juno Mission Detects Salts and Organic Compounds on Jupiter’s Largest Moon, Ganymede, Hinting at Potential Habitability

Juno spacecraft's Jovian Infrared Auroral Mapper instrument detected the existence of hydrated sodium chloride, ammonium chloride, and sodium bicarbonate, possibly pointing to the existence of subsurface oceans and hydrothermal activity on the Jupiter's largest moon.

Overview

  • NASA's Juno mission has detected multiple types of salts and possibly organic compounds called aldehydes on Ganymede, Jupiter's largest moon. These findings indicate potential habitability on the moon.
  • These findings might be evidence of water interacting with rock on the seafloor, mixing nutrients into Ganymede's ocean, which could possibly make the moon habitable.
  • The Juno spacecraft's Jovian Infrared Auroral Mapper instrument detected these compounds during a flyby of Ganymede in June 2021.
  • Beneath its 95-mile-thick layer of ice, Ganymede reportedly hides an ocean 60 miles deep, potentially making the moon's harsh and icy surface a protective layer for potential habitability.
  • These observations further confirm the evidence pool suggesting the existence of a salty subsurface ocean on Ganymede. However, the presence of these organics could also be the result of other processes happening on the surface.