Hubble Finds Evidence of Water Vapor at Jupiter’s Moon Ganymede
Released on July 26, 2021
Astronomers have used new and archival datasets from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope to uncover evidence of water vapor in the atmosphere of Jupiter’s moon Ganymede.
The vapor is present due to the thermal excitation of water molecules from the moon’s icy surface.
Previous research has offered circumstantial evidence for the moon containing more water than all of Earth's oceans. However, temperatures there are so cold that water on the surface freezes and the ocean lies roughly 100 miles below the crust.
Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Paul Morris: Lead Producer Andrea Gianopoulos: Science Writer Tracy Vogel: Science Writer
Additional Credits: Artist’s Impression of Ganymede: Credit: ESA/Hubble, M. Garlick
Artist’s Impression of a Sublimated Water Atmosphere on Ganymede: Credit: ESA/Hubble, J. daSilva
NASA’s Juno Spacecraft Observation of Ganymede in June 2021
Video Artist’s Impression of Ganymede: Credit: ESA/Hubble, M. Garlick
Ganymede Spinning Globe: Credit: USGS Astrogeology Science Center
Music Credits: "Mysterious Discoveries" by Bertrand Allagnat [SACEM] via Koka Media [SACEM], Universal Production Music France [SACEM], and Universal Production Music.