Hubble Finds First Evidence of Water Vapor at Jupiter’s Moon Ganymede

Last Updated on July 28, 2021 by Solar System Ambassador Pam Roller

Here’s an update from our local Solar System Ambassador, Pam Roller:

For the first time, astronomers have uncovered evidence of water vapor in the atmosphere of Jupiter’s moon Ganymede.

Previous research has offered circumstantial evidence that Ganymede, the largest moon in the solar system, contains more water than all of Earth’s oceans. However, temperatures there are so cold that water on the surface is frozen solid.

The link below provides an article, Hubble’s Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph of the first ultraviolet images of Ganymede, and a short video clip.

https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2021/hubble-finds-first-evidence-of-water-vapor-at-jupiter-s-moon-ganymede

Credits: NASA, ESA, John Spencer (SwRI Boulder)

Credits: NASA, ESA, Lorenz Roth (KTH)

Credits: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center