We report results from far-ultraviolet observations by the Hubble Space Telescope of Jupiter’s largest moon Ganymede transiting across the planet’s dayside hemisphere.
Ganymede
Posted inGanymede, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Missions & Hardware, Press Release
Global Modelling of Ganymede’s Surface Composition: Near-IR Mapping from VLT/SPHERE
We present maps of Ganymede’s surface composition with almost complete longitude coverage, acquired using high spatial resolution near-infrared (0.95 to 1.65μm) observations from the ground-based VLT/SPHERE instrument. Observed reflectance spectra […]
Posted inGanymede
On The Origin Of Molecular Oxygen On The Surface Of Ganymede
Since its first identification on the surface of Ganymede in 1995, molecular oxygen (O2) ice has been at the center of a scientific debate as the surface temperature of the […]
Posted inGanymede, Jupiter
Hubble Finds First Evidence of Water Vapor at Jupiter's Moon Ganymede
For the first time, astronomers have uncovered evidence of water vapor in the atmosphere of Jupiter’s moon Ganymede. This water vapor forms when ice from the moon’s surface sublimates — […]
Posted inIcy Worlds
The Geographic Distribution Of Dense-phase O2 On Ganymede
Ground-based spectroscopy of Ganymede’s surface has revealed the surprising presence of dense-phase molecular oxygen (O2) via weak absorptions at visible wavelengths. To date, the state and stability of this O2 […]
Posted inIcy Worlds
Evidence For A Sublimated Water Atmosphere On Ganymede From Hubble Space Telescope Observations
Ganymede’s atmosphere is produced by charged particle sputtering and sublimation of its icy surface. Previous far-ultraviolet observations of the OI1356-A and OI1304-A oxygen emissions were used to derive sputtered molecular […]
Posted inIcy Worlds, Jupiter, Press Release
Jupiter's Moons Could Be Warming Each Other
Jupiter’s moons are hot. Well, hotter than they should be, for being so far from the Sun. In a process called tidal heating, gravitational tugs from Jupiter’s moons and the […]
Posted inIcy Worlds, Press Release
Powering the Galilean Satellites with Moon-Moon Tides
There is compelling evidence for subsurface water oceans among the three outer Galilean satellites, and evidence for an internal magma ocean in the innermost moon, Io. Tidal forces from Jupiter […]
Posted inIcy Worlds, Press Release
On the Orbital Variability of Ganymede's Atmosphere
Ganymede’s atmosphere is produced by radiative interactions with its surface, sourced by the Sun and the Jovian plasma. The sputtered and thermally desorbed molecules are tracked in our Exospheric Global […]
Posted inHabitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Press Release
NASA To Discuss Hubble Observations of Ganymede
NASA will host a teleconference at 11 a.m. EDT on Thursday, March 12, to discuss Hubble Space Telescope’s observations of Ganymede, Jupiter’s largest moon. These results will help scientists in […]