{"id":1661,"date":"2021-03-15T08:53:20","date_gmt":"2021-03-15T08:53:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/horizon.peachpuff-wolverine-566518.hostingersite.com\/?p=1661"},"modified":"2021-03-15T08:53:20","modified_gmt":"2021-03-15T08:53:20","slug":"could-there-be-life-on-jupiters-moons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1661\/could-there-be-life-on-jupiters-moons\/","title":{"rendered":"Could there be life on Jupiter\u2019s moons?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n
\n

The search for life outside of Earth has taken many forms. Mars, our neighbouring world, looks like it was once habitable. Perhaps too Venus, despite its current hellish conditions. But in recent years, scientists\u2019 gazes have been drawn elsewhere. What about the moons of Jupiter?<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n

Three of Jupiter\u2019s four largest moons are icy, and in 1998 NASA\u2019s Galileo spacecraft detected\u00a0tantalising hints<\/a>\u00a0of an ocean beneath one, Europa. Since then, further studies have detected\u00a0signs of water plumes<\/a>\u00a0possibly erupting from this ocean.<\/p>\n

The other two large icy moons, Ganymede and Callisto, are also thought to have oceans beneath their surfaces. Now, new questions are being asked: if there is water on these moons, could there be life? And could we look for it?<\/p>\n

To help answer that question, the European Space Agency is planning to send a spacecraft to Jupiter in 2022, called the\u00a0Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer<\/a>\u00a0(JUICE). Scheduled for arrival by 2029, it will perform multiple flybys of Europa and Callisto before entering orbit around Ganymede from 2032-2034 \u2013 the first spacecraft to orbit a moon other than Earth\u2019s moon. During this time, it will return invaluable data back to Earth.<\/p>\n

Before it even gets there, however, scientists are already busy studying these moons for signs of habitability, and preparing for the data that will be returned by the mission.<\/p>\n

Trapped<\/strong><\/p>\n

The\u00a0oceans under these moons<\/a>\u00a0are likely large, spanning the entire moons\u2019 circumferences and extending tens of kilometres deep. But they are also trapped under tens of kilometres of ice, making studies of them very difficult.<\/p>\n

One of our best approaches so far has been to look for the effects of salt in the oceans on their electrical conductivity by studying magnetic fields around the moons. But these studies \u2018have mostly neglected all the other effects that generate magnetic fields,\u2019 said Professor Joachim Saur, a planetary scientist from the University of Cologne, Germany, such as thin atmospheres around the moons. \u2018It\u2019s very important to disentangle the effects that really come from the ocean.\u2019<\/p>\n

Prof. Saur is the project coordinator on\u00a0Exo-Oceans<\/a>, which is hoping to answer this question. The project is using models and data from NASA\u2019s Galileo spacecraft, which orbited in the Jovian system from 1995 to 2003, along with measurements from NASA\u2019s Juno spacecraft currently at Jupiter and remote observations from telescopes like Hubble, to examine these oceans.<\/p>\n

\u2018Our results will not overturn the idea of an ocean,\u2019 on Europa and Ganymede said Prof. Saur, although he noted they might question one on Callisto. But it\u2019s hoped they could give a better indication on things such as the thickness of the oceans, their salt content, and their distance from the icy sheets above.<\/p>\n

All this has important implications for the habitability of the moons. To be able to support life, it\u2019s thought the oceans need to be in contact with rock at the bottom in order for life to have a source of \u2018food\u2019, and currently only Europa is thought to meet that condition.<\/p>\n

\u2018Europa is one of the best candidates for habitability because the liquid water is in direct contact with the silicate mantle,\u2019 said Prof. Saur. \u2018So there\u2019s a possibility of the leaching out of minerals from the crust into the ocean. And the richer it is in chemical compounds, the better it is for the evolution of life.\u2019<\/p>\n

But there\u2019s only so much that can be done before JUICE arrives. Once it does, its magnetometer instrument will provide useful measurements on the magnetic fields of the moons, giving us vital data on the oceans underneath. \u2018This will allow us to separate all the different effects,\u2019 said Prof. Saur.<\/p>\n

\u2018Europa is one of the best candidates for habitability because the liquid water is in direct contact with the silicate mantle.\u2019<\/p>\n

Prof. Joachim Saur, University of Cologne, Germany<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Radiation<\/strong><\/p>\n

Another important factor regarding the habitability of the moons is how much radiation from Jupiter is hitting them. Jupiter produces a lot of damaging radiation, so much that it can harm spacecraft that get too close.<\/p>\n

One way to study this is to observe aurorae on the moons, produced when charged particles from Jupiter hit magnetic fields around them. Europa, for example, has a constant aurora that\u00a0can be observed<\/a>\u00a0in ultraviolet images from Hubble.<\/p>\n

\u2018It relates to how the moon is exposed to this radiation because the charged particles from the radiation creates the aurora,\u2019 said Dr Lorenz Roth, a planetary astronomer and physicist from the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden. \u2018So it\u2019s kind of a measurement for how much radiation is there.\u2019<\/p>\n

Dr Roth worked on the\u00a0AuroraMHD<\/a>\u00a0project, which sought to use some of these auroral observations of Europa and Jupiter\u2019s volcanically active moon Io to learn more about them. While the project was hampered by the Covid-19 pandemic, it did provide some useful data.<\/p>\n

In particular, it helped confirm the existence of water plumes on Europa, and investigated how they interacted with its atmosphere. And it\u2019s hoped that this work can be built upon, with JUICE, to further study the habitability of Jupiter\u2019s icy moons.<\/p>\n

\u2018The question of habitability and life always lingers in the background,\u2019 said Dr Roth. \u2018In all aspects, including size, the large Jupiter moons are like planets: they are similar to or bigger than Mercury, one has a magnetic field, they have atmospheres, they have oceans (and so on).<\/p>\n

\u2018Europa is more promising (because its) water is very likely directly connected to the rocky material at the sea floor, which allows some reaction to take place.\u2019<\/p>\n

JUICE will be equipped with its own ultraviolet instrument that could study the aurorae of the moons in more detail, helping scientists work out how Jupiter\u2019s radiation might impact their chances of life. \u2018Once JUICE is in orbit, we\u2019ll get a lot of information,\u2019 said Dr Roth. \u2018It can continuously measure the magnetic fields around the moons.\u2019<\/p>\n

Potential habitability<\/strong><\/p>\n

By itself, JUICE is not expected to tell us definitively if there is life on Jupiter\u2019s moons. But its data, along with NASA\u2019s\u00a0Europa Clipper mission<\/a>\u00a0that will arrive in the Jovian system at a similar time to study Europa, could provide useful information on their potential habitability.<\/p>\n

In the same way that initial missions to Mars assessed its habitability, before later missions \u2013 like NASA\u2019s recently-landed Perseverance rover \u2013 were sent\u00a0to look for life<\/a>, so too might similar research take place for Jupiter\u2019s moons.<\/p>\n

\u2018While JUICE and the Europa Clipper have not even launched yet, there are already discussions about what could be next,\u2019 said Prof. Saur, such as landers using drills to go into the ice and sample these oceans. \u2018There is already work going on in parallel on what could be the next steps,\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n

The research in this article was funded by the EU.<\/em><\/p>\n

Originally published on Horizon Magazine<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The search for life outside of Earth has taken many forms. Mars, our neighbouring world, looks like it was once habitable. Perhaps too Venus, despite its current hellish conditions. But in recent years, scientists\u2019 gazes have been drawn elsewhere. What about the moons of Jupiter? Three of Jupiter\u2019s four largest moons are icy, and in … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":298,"featured_media":1662,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"generate_page_header":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[231,392,393,391],"class_list":["post-1661","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-space","tag-esa","tag-extra-terrestrial-life","tag-juice","tag-jupiter"],"yoast_head":"\nCould there be life on Jupiter\u2019s moons? - Horizon Magazine Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1661\/could-there-be-life-on-jupiters-moons\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Could there be life on Jupiter\u2019s moons?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The search for life outside of Earth has taken many forms. Mars, our neighbouring world, looks like it was once habitable. Perhaps too Venus, despite its current hellish conditions. But in recent years, scientists\u2019 gazes have been drawn elsewhere. What about the moons of Jupiter? Three of Jupiter\u2019s four largest moons are icy, and in ... Read more\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1661\/could-there-be-life-on-jupiters-moons\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Horizon Magazine Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/horizon.magazine.eu\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-03-15T08:53:20+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/03\/Image-credit-NASA-JPL.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"985\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"554\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Horizon Magazine\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@https:\/\/twitter.com\/HorizonMagEU\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Horizon Magazine\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1661\\\/could-there-be-life-on-jupiters-moons\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1661\\\/could-there-be-life-on-jupiters-moons\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Horizon Magazine\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/8f23522ba58f477f04dd574e1034f679\"},\"headline\":\"Could there be life on Jupiter\u2019s moons?\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-03-15T08:53:20+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1661\\\/could-there-be-life-on-jupiters-moons\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1157,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1661\\\/could-there-be-life-on-jupiters-moons\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2021\\\/03\\\/Image-credit-NASA-JPL.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"ESA\",\"extra-terrestrial life\",\"JUICE\",\"Jupiter\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Space\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"copyrightYear\":\"2021\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1661\\\/could-there-be-life-on-jupiters-moons\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1661\\\/could-there-be-life-on-jupiters-moons\\\/\",\"name\":\"Could there be life on Jupiter\u2019s moons? - Horizon Magazine Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1661\\\/could-there-be-life-on-jupiters-moons\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1661\\\/could-there-be-life-on-jupiters-moons\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2021\\\/03\\\/Image-credit-NASA-JPL.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-03-15T08:53:20+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1661\\\/could-there-be-life-on-jupiters-moons\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1661\\\/could-there-be-life-on-jupiters-moons\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1661\\\/could-there-be-life-on-jupiters-moons\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2021\\\/03\\\/Image-credit-NASA-JPL.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2021\\\/03\\\/Image-credit-NASA-JPL.jpg\",\"width\":985,\"height\":554,\"caption\":\"Europa, one of Jupiter\u2019s large moons, is considered to be the best candidate for habitability because scientists think its sub-surface ocean is in contact with rock, meaning minerals can leach into the ocean and enrich it. Image credit - NASA\\\/JPL\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/1661\\\/could-there-be-life-on-jupiters-moons\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Could there be life on Jupiter\u2019s moons?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/\",\"name\":\"Horizon Magazine Blog\",\"description\":\"The EU Research & Innovation Magazine\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Horizon Magazine Blog\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/eu-logo.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/eu-logo.jpg\",\"width\":601,\"height\":283,\"caption\":\"Horizon Magazine Blog\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/8f23522ba58f477f04dd574e1034f679\",\"name\":\"Horizon Magazine\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/407bd816be829798850d5e7f646c4137f70c86c6af6c761b67a6ea80c364ffa4?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/407bd816be829798850d5e7f646c4137f70c86c6af6c761b67a6ea80c364ffa4?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/407bd816be829798850d5e7f646c4137f70c86c6af6c761b67a6ea80c364ffa4?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Horizon Magazine\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/horizon.magazine.eu\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/https:\\\/\\\/twitter.com\\\/HorizonMagEU\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/author\\\/horizonmagazine\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Could there be life on Jupiter\u2019s moons? - Horizon Magazine Blog","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1661\/could-there-be-life-on-jupiters-moons\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Could there be life on Jupiter\u2019s moons?","og_description":"The search for life outside of Earth has taken many forms. Mars, our neighbouring world, looks like it was once habitable. Perhaps too Venus, despite its current hellish conditions. But in recent years, scientists\u2019 gazes have been drawn elsewhere. What about the moons of Jupiter? Three of Jupiter\u2019s four largest moons are icy, and in ... Read more","og_url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1661\/could-there-be-life-on-jupiters-moons\/","og_site_name":"Horizon Magazine Blog","article_author":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/horizon.magazine.eu","article_published_time":"2021-03-15T08:53:20+00:00","og_image":[{"width":985,"height":554,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/03\/Image-credit-NASA-JPL.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Horizon Magazine","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@https:\/\/twitter.com\/HorizonMagEU","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Horizon Magazine","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1661\/could-there-be-life-on-jupiters-moons\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1661\/could-there-be-life-on-jupiters-moons\/"},"author":{"name":"Horizon Magazine","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#\/schema\/person\/8f23522ba58f477f04dd574e1034f679"},"headline":"Could there be life on Jupiter\u2019s moons?","datePublished":"2021-03-15T08:53:20+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1661\/could-there-be-life-on-jupiters-moons\/"},"wordCount":1157,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1661\/could-there-be-life-on-jupiters-moons\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/03\/Image-credit-NASA-JPL.jpg","keywords":["ESA","extra-terrestrial life","JUICE","Jupiter"],"articleSection":["Space"],"inLanguage":"en-US","copyrightYear":"2021","copyrightHolder":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/#organization"}},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1661\/could-there-be-life-on-jupiters-moons\/","url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1661\/could-there-be-life-on-jupiters-moons\/","name":"Could there be life on Jupiter\u2019s moons? - Horizon Magazine Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1661\/could-there-be-life-on-jupiters-moons\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1661\/could-there-be-life-on-jupiters-moons\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/03\/Image-credit-NASA-JPL.jpg","datePublished":"2021-03-15T08:53:20+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1661\/could-there-be-life-on-jupiters-moons\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1661\/could-there-be-life-on-jupiters-moons\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1661\/could-there-be-life-on-jupiters-moons\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/03\/Image-credit-NASA-JPL.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/03\/Image-credit-NASA-JPL.jpg","width":985,"height":554,"caption":"Europa, one of Jupiter\u2019s large moons, is considered to be the best candidate for habitability because scientists think its sub-surface ocean is in contact with rock, meaning minerals can leach into the ocean and enrich it. Image credit - NASA\/JPL"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1661\/could-there-be-life-on-jupiters-moons\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Could there be life on Jupiter\u2019s moons?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#website","url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/","name":"Horizon Magazine Blog","description":"The EU Research & Innovation Magazine","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#organization","name":"Horizon Magazine Blog","url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/04\/eu-logo.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/04\/eu-logo.jpg","width":601,"height":283,"caption":"Horizon Magazine Blog"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#\/schema\/person\/8f23522ba58f477f04dd574e1034f679","name":"Horizon Magazine","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/407bd816be829798850d5e7f646c4137f70c86c6af6c761b67a6ea80c364ffa4?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/407bd816be829798850d5e7f646c4137f70c86c6af6c761b67a6ea80c364ffa4?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/407bd816be829798850d5e7f646c4137f70c86c6af6c761b67a6ea80c364ffa4?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Horizon Magazine"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/horizon.magazine.eu","https:\/\/x.com\/https:\/\/twitter.com\/HorizonMagEU"],"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/author\/horizonmagazine\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/03\/Image-credit-NASA-JPL.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pgtNKV-qN","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1067,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/1067\/probing-exoplanet-atmospheres-could-reveal-telltale-signatures-of-life\/","url_meta":{"origin":1661,"position":0},"title":"Probing exoplanet atmospheres could reveal telltale signatures of life","author":"Horizon Magazine","date":"November 25, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"by Ethan Bilby It may be that life is lurking out there on other planets. But stuck here on Earth, how can we ever know for sure? A good place to start is by looking for the compounds on other worlds that are known to be the key ingredients of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Space"","block_context":{"text":"Space","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/space\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Understanding if a hot Jupiter bleeds off its atmosphere can help explain how the atmospheres of all exoplanets change over time. Image credit - NASA\/JPL-Caltech","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/11\/spitzer20091020-browse.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/11\/spitzer20091020-browse.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/11\/spitzer20091020-browse.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2202,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/2202\/atmosphere-of-excitement-as-europes-jwst-astronomers-study-climate-on-other-planets\/","url_meta":{"origin":1661,"position":1},"title":"Atmosphere of excitement as Europe\u2019s JWST astronomers study climate on other planets","author":"Horizon Magazine","date":"November 4, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"The weather and climate on other planets has unusual features but planetary astronomers think JWST could potentially discover clues to help answer the fundamental question of \u201cWhere do we come from?\u201d By\u00a0\u00a0ANTHONY KING The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) launched on Christmas Day 2021, is already transforming our understanding of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Space"","block_context":{"text":"Space","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/space\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/11\/4second.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/11\/4second.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/11\/4second.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/11\/4second.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/11\/4second.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/11\/4second.png?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":345,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/345\/ingredients-for-life-on-saturns-moon-may-be-tip-of-the-iceberg\/","url_meta":{"origin":1661,"position":2},"title":"Ingredients for life on Saturn\u2019s moon may be \u2018tip of the iceberg\u2019","author":"Joanna Roberts","date":"June 29, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"There are likely to be many more ingredients for life on Saturn\u2019s moon Enceladus than those identified so far, says Dr Frank Postberg from the University of Heidelberg, Germany, the lead author of a\u00a0paper published on 27 June\u00a0which revealed the presence of complex carbon-based molecules in the moon's core. He\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Space"","block_context":{"text":"Space","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/space\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Saturn moon Enceladus","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/06\/encrop.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/06\/encrop.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/06\/encrop.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/06\/encrop.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2152,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/2152\/searching-the-skies-for-the-building-blocks-of-life-in-the-universe\/","url_meta":{"origin":1661,"position":3},"title":"Searching the skies for the building blocks of life in the universe","author":"Horizon Magazine","date":"September 12, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"The time has come for the James Webb Space Telescope to take exoplanet astronomy to the outer reaches. European researchers have been doing a lot of groundwork in preparation for this moment. BY MICHAEL ALLEN Since its 25 December 2021 launch aboard an Ariane 5 rocket from French Guiana and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Space"","block_context":{"text":"Space","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/space\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/09\/12b.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/09\/12b.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/09\/12b.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/09\/12b.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/09\/12b.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/09\/12b.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2451,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/2451\/earths-core-replete-with-oceans-and-cyclones-is-being-demystified\/","url_meta":{"origin":1661,"position":4},"title":"Earth\u2019s core, replete with oceans and cyclones, is being demystified","author":"Horizon Magazine","date":"August 9, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"At the centre of Earth is a vast ball of metal, the planet\u2019s core. While unreachable without the help of Jules Verne, it can be studied and plays a vital role for the world. The iron-nickel interior generates a magnetic field that protects the planet from harmful radiation and allows\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Space"","block_context":{"text":"Space","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/space\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/08\/THE_FO1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/08\/THE_FO1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/08\/THE_FO1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/08\/THE_FO1.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":693,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/693\/the-moons-water-where-did-it-come-from-and-where-did-it-all-go\/","url_meta":{"origin":1661,"position":5},"title":"The moon\u2019s water: where did it come from \u2013 and where did it all go?","author":"Richard Gray","date":"February 19, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Fragments of moon rock brought back from the lunar surface by astronauts on the Apollo space missions are providing new insights about where our planet\u2019s life-giving water came from. The next time you take a sip of water, take a moment to consider where it has come from. It may\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Space"","block_context":{"text":"Space","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/space\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Image Credit - ANDY SMITH ASTRONOMY","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/02\/moonandysmith2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/02\/moonandysmith2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/02\/moonandysmith2.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/02\/moonandysmith2.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/02\/moonandysmith2.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/02\/moonandysmith2.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1661","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/298"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1661"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1661\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1662"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1661"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1661"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1661"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}