Presence of ozone on Callisto

06.04.2024

Presence of ozone on Callisto

Why in the  news?             

Recently an international team of scientists, including researchers from India, has found solid evidence indicating the presence of ozone on Jupiter's moon, Callisto.

Important points:

• This discovery has important implications for understanding the composition of the Moon's atmosphere.
• The presence of ozone on Callisto also suggests the existence of stable atmospheric conditions and thus the possibility of life.
• This discovery was published in the March 2024 issue of Icarus magazine.
• Callisto's surface was imaged in near true color by the Voyager 2 spacecraft in July 1979.
• According to NASA, Jupiter (95) has the most moons in the Solar System, followed by Saturn (146).

About Jupiter's moon, Callisto:

• Callisto is one of the largest moons of Jupiter and the third largest in the Solar System after Ganymede and Titan.
• Callisto was discovered in 1610 by Italian scientist Galileo Galilei, along with Jupiter's three other largest moons: Ganymede, Europa, and Io.
• Callisto is composed primarily of water ice, rocky material, sulfur dioxide, and some organic compounds.
• Its unique composition makes it a potential place in the Solar System to support life beyond Earth.
• Earlier it was considered a barren celestial body, but now scientists believe that this icy moon may harbor favorable conditions for life.
• Callisto's cratered surface reveals a long history of impacts from asteroids and comets.
• Unlike some of Jupiter's other moons, such as Io and Europa, Callisto lacks significant seismic activity.

                                       Source: The Hindu