Hubble Finds Evidence of Water Vapor at Jupiter’s Moon Ganymede

Astronomers have used new and archival datasets from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope to uncover evidence of water vapor in the atmosphere of Jupiter’s moon Ganymede.

The vapor is present due to the thermal excitation of water molecules from the moon’s icy surface.

Previous research has offered circumstantial evidence for the moon containing more water than all of Earth's oceans. However, temperatures there are so cold that water on the surface freezes and the ocean lies roughly 100 miles below the crust.

For more information, visit https://nasa.gov/hubble.

Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Paul Morris: Lead Producer
Andrea Gianopoulos: Science Writer
Tracy Vogel: Science Writer


Additional Credits:
Artist’s Impression of Ganymede: Credit: ESA/Hubble, M. Garlick

Artist’s Impression of a Sublimated Water Atmosphere on Ganymede: Credit: ESA/Hubble, J. daSilva

NASA’s Juno Spacecraft Observation of Ganymede in June 2021

Video Artist’s Impression of Ganymede: Credit: ESA/Hubble, M. Garlick

Ganymede Spinning Globe: Credit: USGS Astrogeology Science Center

Music Credits:
"Mysterious Discoveries" by Bertrand Allagnat [SACEM] via Koka Media [SACEM], Universal Production Music France [SACEM], and Universal Production Music.