--- title: "Possiblе discovеry of thе sixth-largеst moon's sourcе by Wеbb Tеlеscopе" description: "The James Webb Space Telescope has discovered the carbon origins of Jupiter's moon Europa, potentially a suitable habitat for life." author: "Saumya Mishra" published: 2023-09-22 updated: 2023-09-22 canonical: https://www.mindstick.com/news/3337/possibl-discov-ry-of-th-sixth-larg-st-moon-s-sourc-by-w-bb-t-l-scop category: "technology" tags: ["moon"] reading_time: 2 minutes --- # Possiblе discovеry of thе sixth-largеst moon's sourcе by Wеbb Tеlеscopе The **[James Webb Space Telescope](https://www.mindstick.com/news/2964/nasa-notifies-a-mysterious-glitch-in-the-james-webb-space-telescope) (JWST)** has discovered the carbon origins on Jupiter's [moon](https://www.mindstick.com/news/3306/chandrayan-s-3-pragyan-is-exploring-moon-s-surface) **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](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/115287/what-technologies-has-nasa-developed-that-benefit-everyday-life-on-earth-today) prefers chemical diversity, and [understanding](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/12918/cat-5e-vs-cat-6a-understanding-the-major-differences) 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](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/32170/which-organ-in-the-human-body-is-responsible-for-removing-carbon-dioxide-from-the-body), which is now believed to originate from the subsurface ocean. This discovery is supported by observational evidence, as carbon is a biologically [essential element](https://www.mindstick.com/news/3283/first-glimpses-of-the-moon-captured-by-chandrayaan-3). 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](https://yourviews.mindstick.com/view/86700/fire-a-sacred-element-for-life-in-hindu-ideology). This research is part of two [independent](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/12905/fynsis-announce-suitecrm-customer-portal-independent-client-service-platform) 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](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/35703/ricky-ponting-is-also-known-as-what) 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](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/32252/cryogenic-engine-for-upper-stage-of-gslv-mk-iii-was-successfully-tested-by-which-space-agency) launched the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) to conduct detailed observations of Jupiter's ocean-bearing moons, including Ganymede, Callisto, and Europa. \ --- Original Source: https://www.mindstick.com/news/3337/possibl-discov-ry-of-th-sixth-larg-st-moon-s-sourc-by-w-bb-t-l-scop Copyright © MindStick Software Pvt. Ltd. This Markdown version is provided for developers, AI systems, and offline reading.