The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has discovered the carbon origins on Jupiter's moon Europa, which could be a suitable habitat for life. Previous research indicated a salty ocean of liquid water with a rocky seafloor beneath the moon's water-ice crust, but scientists were unable to confirm if this ocean contained the necessary chemicals for life, particularly carbon.

Life on Earth prefers chemical diversity, and understanding the chemistry of Europa's ocean could help determine its potential for life. The Galileo spacecraft detected various chemicals on Europa's surface, including carbon dioxide, which is now believed to originate from the subsurface ocean. This discovery is supported by observational evidence, as carbon is a biologically essential element. The Galileo spacecraft's findings suggest that Europa's ocean could be a good place for life, as it is rich in carbon, which is a crucial element for life. This research is part of two independent papers describing the findings.

How JWST obtained this information

The JWST's Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) instrument revealed that carbon dioxide is concentrated in the region known as Tara Regio, also known as "chaos terrain." This region was previously observed to have a break-up during warming weather, allowing water from the subsurface ocean to emerge. In April, the European Space Agency launched the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) to conduct detailed observations of Jupiter's ocean-bearing moons, including Ganymede, Callisto, and Europa.