Ammonia-containing compounds on the Jovian moon Europa, displayed in red, were identified by the Galileo probe back in 1997. The discovery came from a fresh examination of the Galileo mission’s information.(Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)
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Jupiter’s ice-laden moon Europa seems to exhibit potentially life-sustaining molecules on its exterior.
Al Emran, a scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, detected ammonia on Europa’s surface when examining previous data from the Galileo mission, which scrutinized Jupiter and its satellites from 1995 to 2003.
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It marks the “earliest such finding at Europa” and thus offers significant implications for the habitability of the frozen moon, which is deemed one of the most prospective locations within the solar system for harboring life beyond Earth, as per the announcement.
Alien ice moon
Ammonia is a molecule containing nitrogen and is a component of life as we understand it, along with carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and water. In the recent document, Emran mentioned that the discovery had “astrobiological meaning, considering the crucial function of nitrogen in the chemistry of life.”
IN CONTEXT
IN CONTEXTBrandon SpecktorSpace and Physics editor
Europa is the fourth-biggest of Jupiter’s discovered 95 moons, approximating 90% of the dimensions of Earth’s moon. Investigations into Jupiter’s electromagnetic field point to Europa containing a profound stratum of electrically conductive fluid, which scientists believe is likely a substantial, saline sea confined beneath the moon’s icy exterior. This concealed sea positions Europa as a leading candidate for alien organisms within our planetary system — although further firsthand observations are needed to validate this supposition.
The Galileo spacecraft functioned in the Jupiter zone between 1995 and 2003, ahead of it running short on fuel. Engineers purposefully directed the spacecraft into the massive planet to avert any chance of polluting Europa or other frozen moons. Even though the mission finalized operations more than two decades prior, researchers occasionally unearth novel insights within aged information sets, either via applying more modern instruments or understanding, or via analyzing details that had not been previously examined.
In the present investigation, NASA identified signs of ammonia adjacent to cracks on Europa’s icy expanse. These fractures are thought to contain liquid water alongside ammonia mixtures; ammonia reduces the water’s freezing temperature, similar to antifreeze, according to the agency.
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The ammonia may have originated “either from the moon’s subterranean ocean, or its shallow sublayer,” NASA representatives shared in their announcement. This is due to ammonia’s quick decomposition from ultraviolet light and cosmic rays when in space. It’s believed that cryovolcanism, or frozen volcanism, likely pushed ammonia-containing compounds to the exterior, they elaborated.
A subsequent mission could potentially provide further details: Europa Clipper, which was sent out in October 2024, is anticipated to reach the Jovian sphere around April 2030. This mission is designated to specifically hunt for chemical clues regarding habitability on the icy moon.
Article Sources
Emran, A. (2025). Detection of an NH 3 Absorption Band at 2.2 μ m on Europa. The Planetary Science Journal, 6(11), 255. https://doi.org/10.3847/psj/ae1291
Elizabeth HowellLive Science Contributor
Elizabeth Howell worked as a staff reporter at Space.com from 2022 to 2024 and was a regular contributor to Live Science and Space.com between 2012 and 2022. Elizabeth’s work includes several exclusive stories from the White House, several discussions with the International Space Station, witnessing five crewed spaceflight launches across two continents, parabolic flights, work inside a spacesuit, and participation in a simulated Mars undertaking. Her most recent book, “Why Am I Taller?” (ECW Press, 2022) is co-authored with astronaut Dave Williams.
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