Juno Mission Uncovers Organics and Salts on Jupiter's Moon Ganymede
NASA's Juno mission has discovered mineral salts and organic compounds on Jupiter's moon Ganymede. Data collected by the Jovian InfraRed Auroral Mapper (JIRAM) spectrometer during a close flyby revealed the presence of hydrated sodium chloride, ammonium chloride, sodium bicarbonate, and possibly aliphatic aldehydes. These findings provide insights into the composition of Ganymede's deep ocean and its formation process. The discovery was made possible by Juno's unprecedented spatial resolution for infrared spectroscopy, offering a closer look at the moon's surface. Ganymede, the largest moon of Jupiter, has long been of interest due to its hidden internal ocean of water beneath its icy crust.