, meaning its orbit is just shy of being circular like the Earth’s. This means Io is closer to Jupiter at some points in its orbit and farther away at other points and is estimated to experience a distance difference of approximately 3,400 kilometers during one complete orbit.
For Ganymede, the researchers also used JWST’s NIRSpec instrument to detect hydrogen peroxide at the polar regions of the large moon, which, like the SO detection on Io, is a first-of-its-kind discovery.radiolysis Illustration of Ganymede’s magnetic field lines. Like Earth, they are generated within the moon’s iron core. Measurements from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope indicate Ganymede’s aurorae, which follow magnetic field lines, suggests that a subsurface saltwater ocean also influences the behavior of the Ganymede’s magnetosphere. )
Image of Ganymede’s auroral belts taken by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope overlaid on an image of the moon taken by NASA’s Galileo spacecraft. The high concentrations of rocking of Ganymede’s magnetic field suggests the moon possesses a subsurface saltwater ocean.