NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has made some remarkable discoveries over the years, but one of its most recent finds is a particular source of excitement. It has discovered water vapor in the atmosphere of a heavenly body orbiting the planet Jupiter, which further strengthens the theory that there is the potential for life on other planets. In this article, we will explore more about NASA’s exciting discovery that could shake up astronomical investigations going forward, with the aim of demonstrating how meaningful this particular mission has been in the world of science.
The Discovery and How it was Achieved
NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope was launched in April 1990 and has been used to further astronomical knowledge ever since. Recently, its research has included a hunt for water on one of Jupiter’s moons – Europa. In doing so, the telescope unveiled a candidate plume of water vapor in the northern hemisphere of Europa, which had never been seen before.
In order to achieve this discovery, data was collected by the Near-Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS) operating in two infrared bands. This allowed the team of astronomers to gain insights into the moon’s lower atmosphere with infrared light. As the telescope took images of Europa in this short time frame, the brightness of features on Europa’s surface revealed spectroscopic signatures of water vapor, providing powerful evidence for a plume of vapor venting from the surface.
About Jupiter’s Moon ‘Europa’
Europa ranks as the fourth largest of Jupiter’s moons, with the first three places taken by the Galilean moons. It has an orbital period of around 3.5 Earth days and has been visited more than a dozen times by spacecraft missions due to its popularity within the astronomical community. It is relatively small, but researchers believe it could be one of the most promising sources of information on the possibility of extraterrestrial life out beyond our own Solar System.
The Benefits of Water being Present on Europa
There are two main benefits to water being present on a planet like Europa. Firstly, it is an incredibly powerful source of fuel and can be a potential resource for survival. Secondly, water is one of the key elements required to sustain life. Sub-surface oceans, like those which Europa is believed to host, could support and harbor forms of life that we may never even have dreamed of. Thus, this newfound discovery of water vapor on Europa represents a monumental leap for our knowledge of astrobiology.
Analysis of the Data Collected
The data collected by the Hubble Space Telescope from Europa’s atmosphere was analyzed in various ways to identify the source and properties of the vapor. First of all, the images taken by the telescope looked for any sudden changes in flaring activity, which could indicate the presence of a plume. Once such areas were identified, the spectra that came from said regions were then studied in order to glean the molecular makeup of what was occurring on the surface of the moon.
Looking Ahead: Methods to Confirm Findings
In order to confirm that the findings regarding the discovery of a water vapor plume were correct, NASA will be using two methods of research in the near future. Firstly, Hubble will use its ultraviolet spectroscopy capabilities to look for additional evidence of a water vapor plume located on Europa’s surface. Secondly, researchers will be preparing spacecrafts to journey back to the moon, including the ESA’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer and the Clipper mission. These missions will use advanced instruments to look directly inside the plumes and the subsurface ocean that astronomers believe is located beneath Europa’s icy shell.
We have seen that NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has once again transformed our understanding of the natural world around us. Its recent discovery of water vapor on Jupiter’s moon Europa has paved the way for scientists to further investigate the potential for extraterrestrial life, adding a new level of excitement to research of similar missions. As such, this recent discovery is absolutely one of the most significant in the field of astrobiology and could well revolutionize how we view our universe in the years to come.
