The Puck Drop: NASA Discovers Europa, Jupiter’s Moon, Produces Significant Amounts of Oxygen
A recent discovery by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory has revealed that Europa, one of Jupiter’s moons, produces about 1,000 tons of oxygen every 24 hours. This amount of oxygen is enough to sustain a million humans each day, although it is less than previously estimated. The findings, published in the journal Nature Astronomy, point to the potential impact of this oxygen production on Europa’s underground ocean, which is believed to contain twice as much water as all of Earth’s oceans combined.
Europa, the sixth-closest moon to Jupiter and slightly smaller than Earth’s moon, was the subject of data gathered by NASA’s space probe Juno during a flyby in 2022. Despite the presence of oxygen on Europa, the intense radiation levels on the moon make it unsafe for humans. However, NASA’s Juno mission aims to understand more about the planet Jupiter and its moons, including the formation and transfer of heavy elements.
In 2024, NASA plans to launch the Europa Clipper mission to further investigate whether Europa could host conditions suitable for life. The moon is considered the most promising place in the solar system to find environments that could support life beyond Earth, according to NASA’s mission. The new findings have sparked excitement among scientists and space enthusiasts alike, as they continue to unravel the mysteries of our universe. Stay tuned for more updates on this groundbreaking discovery on The Puck Drop.
