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- A new study using data from NASA\u2019s Juno mission<\/strong> reveals Jupiter\u2019s moon Europa generates approximately 1,000 tons of oxygen every 24 hours.<\/li>\n
- That much oxygen<\/strong> is sufficient for a million people to breathe daily, though it\u2019s still less oxygen than scientists thought was on Europa.<\/li>\n
- The upcoming Europa Clipper mission<\/strong>, launching this year, will arrive at Jupiter in 2030 and use its nine scientific instruments to study the moon\u2019s habitability.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
1,000 tons of oxygen every 24 hours<\/h3>\n
Europa is an ice-covered ocean moon of Jupiter. Ionized (charged) particles from Jupiter impact the moon\u2019s icy surface, splitting water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. But exactly how much oxygen is in Europa\u2019s thin atmosphere has been a matter of debate. On March 4, 2024, a new study from an international team of scientists with NASA\u2019s Juno mission said they\u2019ve determined the rate of oxygen production on Europa to be about 1,000 tons every 24 hours. That\u2019s enough oxygen for a million people to breathe every day, yet still less than previous studies had estimated. The result also means less oxygen could make its way into the ocean below the surface, possibly affecting habitability.<\/p>\n
The researchers published their peer-reviewed results in Nature Astronomy<\/em> on March 4, 2024.<\/p>\n
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Europa\u2019s thin atmosphere<\/h3>\n
Europa is the smallest Galilean moon, about the size of our own moon, but it does have an atmosphere \u2026 sort of. It\u2019s extremely thin and tenuous, and scientists often refer to it as an exosphere. The thinnest, outermost part of Earth\u2019s atmosphere is also called the exosphere. On Europa, it\u2019s primarily oxygen with traces of water vapor and hydrogen. Unlike Earth, however, the oxygen isn\u2019t produced mostly by plants on the surface. It\u2019s Jupiter\u2019s ionized (charged) particles hitting the desolate, icy surface that creates oxygen. As lead author Jamey Szalay from Princeton University in New Jersey explained it:<\/p>\n
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Europa is like an ice ball slowly losing its water in a flowing stream. Except, in this case, the stream is a fluid of ionized particles swept around Jupiter by its extraordinary magnetic field. When these ionized particles impact Europa, they break up the water-ice molecule by molecule on the surface to produce hydrogen and oxygen. In a way, the entire ice shell is being continuously eroded by waves of charged particles washing up upon it.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Oxygen estimates<\/h3>\n
So, how much oxygen do these impacts generate? Previous estimates ranged from a few pounds to over 2,000 pounds per second (over 1,000 kilograms per second). But the new analysis of data from Juno suggests the production rate of oxygen on Europa is toward the lower end: about 26 pounds per second (12 kilograms per second), or 1,000 tons every 24 hours.<\/p>\n
The researchers derived the estimated oxygen production using data from Juno\u2019s Jovian Auroral Distributions Experiment (JADE) instrument. JADE measured the outgassing of hydrogen and oxygen from Europa\u2019s surface due to the ionized particles hitting it. JADE identified both the hydrogen and oxygen ions created in the bombardment process.<\/p>\n
Juno made the measurements when it flew within 220 miles (354 km) of Europa on September 29, 2022, at 2:36 p.m. PDT. Szalay said:<\/p>\n
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Back when NASA\u2019S Galileo mission flew by Europa, it opened our eyes to the complex and dynamic interaction Europa has with its environment. Juno brought a new capability to directly measure the composition of charged particles shed from Europa\u2019s atmosphere, and we couldn\u2019t wait to further peek behind the curtain of this exciting water world. But what we didn\u2019t realize is that Juno\u2019s observations would give us such a tight constraint on the amount of oxygen produced in Europa\u2019s icy surface.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
![\"Cutaway](\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/upl\/2024\/03\/Europa-ionized-particles-oxygen-hydrogen-March-4-2024.jpg\")
View larger. | This illustration depicts how ionized (charged) particles around Jupiter impact Europa\u2019s icy surface. The impacts split the water molecules, creating oxygen and hydrogen. Image via NASA\/ JPL-Caltech\/ SWRI\/ PU.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Implications for life at Europa<\/h3>\n
Even though Europa\u2019s atmosphere is thin, it has implications for possible life in Europa\u2019s subsurface ocean. That\u2019s because scientists think some of that oxygen can make its way through the ice shell and into the ocean itself.<\/p>\n
So the new results mean there may also be less oxygen in the ocean to support life. However, that oxygen hasn\u2019t been directly measured yet. Therefore, the actual amount is still largely unknown. Plus, besides plants, there are plenty of organisms on Earth that don\u2019t require oxygen. In fact, some are even poisoned by it.<\/p>\n
What we do know so far is that Europa\u2019s ocean is probably similar to oceans on Earth. Salty, but maybe not too salty. There may also be hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor that could provide heat and nutrients. NASA\u2019s Cassini mission found evidence for such vents in Enceladus\u2019 ocean.<\/p>\n
Europa Clipper launches this year<\/h3>\n
NASA\u2019s Europa Clipper will launch this year and arrive at Europa in 2030. With its nine scientific instruments, it will study Europa closer than ever. That includes measuring the amount of oxygen on Europa. Scott Bolton is Juno\u2019s principal investigator from the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) in San Antonio, Texas. He said:<\/p>\n
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Our ability to fly close to the Galilean satellites during our extended mission allowed us to start tackling a breadth of science, including some unique opportunities to contribute to the investigation of Europa\u2019s habitability. And we\u2019re not done yet. More moon flybys and the first exploration of Jupiter\u2019s close ring and polar atmosphere are yet to come.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
In September 2023, scientists reported that frozen deposits of carbon dioxide on Europa\u2019s surface likely came from its ocean. The presence of carbon dioxide in the ocean would have positive implications for the possibility of life.<\/p>\n
Bottom line: Scientists with NASA\u2019s Juno mission said there\u2019s enough oxygen in Europa\u2019s atmosphere to support 1 million people a day. Yet that\u2019s less than they expected. The finding could have implications for possible life in Europa\u2019s ocean.<\/p>\n
Source: Oxygen production from dissociation of Europa\u2019s water-ice surface<\/p>\n
Via NASA\/JPL-Caltech<\/p>\n
Read more: Did Europa\u2019s carbon dioxide come from its ocean?<\/p>\n
Read more: Europa\u2019s icy crust rides on warm ocean currents<\/p>\n
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\n - That much oxygen<\/strong> is sufficient for a million people to breathe daily, though it\u2019s still less oxygen than scientists thought was on Europa.<\/li>\n