Art by Parker Morgan

Astronomers have discovered carbon dioxide on Europa, one of Jupiter’s moons, using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. 

Previous research shows that beneath the water-ice crust on the surface lies a saltwater ocean with a seafloor, indicating that it could potentially maintain conditions for life. However, scientists explain they could not confirm whether the water had all the necessary chemicals, such as carbon. 

The carbon dioxide is thought not to have originated from meteorites, but rather from the ocean’s subsurface. It is most abundant in a region called Tara Regio, where the surface ice is disrupted, perhaps implying the carbon dioxide’s origin is in the inner ocean. 

This discovery of carbon dioxide opens up the question of Europa’s habitability. This information could prove helpful for NASA’s upcoming Europa Clipper mission as well as the European’s Space Agency’s mission that is currently underway on Jupiter’s numerous ice moons.