In a recent development to its deep space exploration, NASA has managed to catch FM signals from one of Jupiter¡¯s moons. The signals were picked up by the renowned NASA spacecraft Juno while orbiting Jupiter.
The FM waves were detected from Ganymede, one of the gas giant¡¯s 79 moons. Interestingly, this is the first time that any signal or activity has ever been detected from this particular moon. Although it must be noted that the radio waves in this case do not exactly originate from any communication device and hence, should not be taken as a proof for alien life on Ganymede.
¡°It¡¯s not E.T.,¡± said Patrick Wiggins, NASA ambassador from Utah, in an interaction with Fox News. ¡°It¡¯s more of a natural function.¡±
The waves instead are being generated due to a natural space phenomena called electronic- cyclotron maser (ECM) instability. The process takes place in electromagnetic fields and directly amplifies electromagnetic radiation. This happens through the nonthermal energetic electrons trapped in magnetic fields, oscillating much slower than their spin rate.
Juno was able to pick up this amplified frequency while moving through a region of Jupiter where the planet¡¯s magnetic field lines aligned with the Ganymede moon.?
As per NASA, Ganymede is also the only natural satellite in the solar system that has its own magnetic field. Scientists had thus long speculated such radio waves to persist in the region but had not observed it firsthand until now.
The findings have now been published in the scientific journal Geophysical Research Letters.
For those unaware, Ganymede is the largest moon of Jupiter as well as the solar system. It is also the largest celestial body without a substantial atmosphere in the solar system. If we include the planets in comparison, Ganymede is the ninth-largest object in the Solar System.
Ganymede primarily consists of water ice and this composition of the moon possesses major clues for understanding the evolution of the 79 Jovian moons since their birth.