{"id":280508,"date":"2026-02-08T11:57:07","date_gmt":"2026-02-08T11:57:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/280508\/"},"modified":"2026-02-08T11:57:07","modified_gmt":"2026-02-08T11:57:07","slug":"new-discovery-of-ammonia-on-europa-hints-at-active-geology","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/280508\/","title":{"rendered":"New discovery of ammonia on Europa hints at active geology"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"AmmoniaView larger<\/a>. | Composite image showing location of some of the ammonia<\/a>-bearing compounds on Jupiter\u2019s moon Europa (red pixels). Scientists found them near large fractures in the icy surface crust. The discovery of ammonia on Europa supports the possibility that Europa\u2019s subsurface ocean is habitable<\/a>. Image via NASA<\/a>\/ JPL-Caltech.<\/p>\n

EarthSky\u2019s 2026 lunar calendar shows the moon phase for every day of the year. Get yours today!<\/a><\/p>\n

Scientists have found ammonia compounds on the surface of Jupiter\u2019s moon Europa. Why is this significant?
\nThe compounds likely came up from the ocean below, through cracks in the icy surface. They could be evidence for active geology in the crust and habitable conditions in the ocean.
\nNew analysis of old images from the Galileo mission revealed the ammonia deposits near large fractures in the crust.<\/p>\n

Ammonia on Europa: Active geology and life?<\/p>\n

The debate about whether Jupiter\u2019s moon Europa could support life in its hidden ocean continues. One key is active geology, which might serve as an life-engine on a world like Europa by connecting this world\u2019s internal chemistry to its ocean. But one recent study said Europa\u2019s seafloor might not be geologically active<\/a> enough to support life. And then another study found the chemical nutrients needed could still come from Europa\u2019s icy crust<\/a>. Maybe they seep down into the ocean, and life gets a boost that way. Now, there\u2019s a new piece of evidence. NASA said<\/a> on January 29, 2026, that new analysis of data from the old Galileo<\/a> mission has found, for the first time, ammonia<\/a>-bearing compounds on Europa\u2019s surface. Ammonia is a nitrogen-bearing molecule, and nitrogen is a foundational building block for life.<\/p>\n

The ammonia deposits are located near large fractures on the surface. This is where liquid water \u2013 either from the ocean itself or smaller lakes within the ice crust<\/a> \u2013 could come up to the surface.<\/p>\n

Al Emran<\/a> at NASA\u2019s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California is the author of the new peer-reviewed<\/a> paper, published<\/a> in The Planetary Science Journal on November 7, 2025.<\/p>\n

NASA\u2019s Galileo Mission Points to Ammonia at Europa, Recent Study Showsastrobiology.com\/2026\/01\/nasa\u2026 #Astrobiology @NASAScience_<\/p>\n

\u2014 Astrobiology (@astrobiology.bsky.social)<\/a> 2026-01-29T20:38:40.483Z<\/a><\/p>\n

Old images from Galileo reveal ammonia on Europa<\/p>\n

Emran found the ammonia-bearing compound deposits in old images from the Galileo mission. Galileo explored Jupiter and its moons from 1995 to 2003. No one had noticed the ammonia (NH3) deposits before. But now, new advanced reanalysis of the images revealed the deposits. The image at the top zooms in on an area about 250 miles (400 km) wide. Galileo obtained it during its 11th orbit of Jupiter in 1997.<\/p>\n

The pixelated shapes are representations of data from Galileo\u2019s Near-Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (NIMS<\/a>) instrument. The red pixels show locations of the ammonia (aka NH3) compounds, while the purple pixels indicate no detections.<\/p>\n

The paper states<\/a>:<\/p>\n

The presence of NH3-bearing components on icy planetary bodies has important implications for their geology and potential habitability. Here, I report the detection of a characteristic NH3 absorption feature on Europa, identified in an observation from the Galileo Near Infrared Mapping Spectrometer. Spectral modeling and band position indicate that NH3 hydrate and NH4 chloride are the most plausible candidates.<\/p>\n

\"SmoothView larger<\/a>. | View of Europa from NASA\u2019s Juno<\/a> spacecraft on September 29, 2022. Image via NASA<\/a>\/ JPL-Caltech\/ SwRI\/ MSSS \/Image processing: Kevin M. Gill (CC BY 3.0<\/a>).
\n\"ManyA closer look at some of the cracks in Europa\u2019s otherwise smooth surface. It\u2019s through these cracks that scientists think water can come up to the surface and leave the brownish deposits around the cracks. The Galileo<\/a> spacecraft took this image on September 26, 1998. Image via NASA<\/a>\/ JPL-Caltech\/ SETI Institute.
\nIs the ammonia from the subsurface ocean?<\/p>\n

The paper suggests the most likely source of the ammonia compounds is the subsurface ocean or other water reservoirs within the ice crust. The compounds could reach the surface through cryovolcanism, a form of volcanism with icy materials instead of hot magma. Ammonia can\u2019t last long in space \u2013 or exposed on Europa\u2019s virtually airless surface \u2013 so its presence suggests it came up to the surface relatively recently geologically. The paper says:<\/p>\n

I posit that ammonia-bearing materials were transported to the surface via effusive cryovolcanism or similar mechanisms during Europa\u2019s recent geological past.<\/p>\n

The transport of ammonia-bearing material from subsurface sources provides insight into the composition and chemistry of Europa\u2019s interior, suggesting a chemically reduced high-pH<\/a> and thicker subsurface ocean beneath a comparatively thinner ice shell. Nonetheless, the detection of ammonia-bearing components in this study provides the first evidence of nitrogen-bearing species on Europa, an observation of considerable astrobiological significance due to nitrogen\u2019s foundational role in the molecular basis of life.<\/p>\n

\"SmilingAl Emran<\/a> at NASA\u2019s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California is the author of the new paper about ammonia on Europa. Image via Jet Propulsion Laboratory<\/a>.
\nImplications for habitability<\/p>\n

The discovery of ammonia provides another important clue about the potential habitability<\/a> of Europa\u2019s ocean. Ammonia contains one nitrogen and three hydrogen atoms. It can be produced both biologically and abiotically (without life).<\/p>\n

The fact that it contains nitrogen makes it even more interesting. Nitrogen is one of the key molecules required for life as we know it. It assists in the formation of amino acids, DNA, chlorophyll and proteins.<\/p>\n

Ammonia also lowers the freezing point of water. This means that water containing ammonia can stay liquid at lower freezing temperatures than usual. This could be important in the case of Europa or other moons with subsurface oceans, even though scientists have found ammonia on quite a few other icy bodies in the solar system, both with oceans and without.<\/p>\n

It will be interesting to see what NASA\u2019s Europa Clipper<\/a> finds when it reaches Europa in 2030. It will study both Europa\u2019s surface and interior in unprecedented detail. Will it show that Europa is a habitable world?<\/p>\n

Bottom line: A new analysis of images from the Galileo mission has revealed deposits of ammonia on Jupiter\u2019s moon Europa. It could mean a geologically active crust and habitable ocean.<\/p>\n

Source: Detection of an NH3 Absorption Band at 2.2 um on Europa<\/a><\/p>\n

Via NASA<\/a><\/p>\n

Via NASA<\/a><\/p>\n

Read more: Strange \u2018spider\u2019 on Europa hints at water lurking below<\/a><\/p>\n

Read more: Juno images of Europa reveal a complex, active surface<\/a><\/p>\n

Paul Scott Anderson
\n View Articles<\/a><\/p>\n

About the Author:<\/p>\n

Paul Scott Anderson has had a passion for space exploration that began when he was a child when he watched Carl Sagan\u2019s Cosmos. He studied English, writing, art and computer\/publication design in high school and college. He later started his blog The Meridiani Journal in 2005, which was later renamed Planetaria. He also later started the blog Fermi Paradoxica, about the search for life elsewhere in the universe.
\n
\nWhile interested in all aspects of space exploration, his primary passion is planetary science and SETI. In 2011, he started writing about space on a freelance basis with Universe Today. He has also written for SpaceFlight Insider and AmericaSpace and has also been published in The Mars Quarterly. He also did some supplementary writing for the iOS app Exoplanet.
\n
\nHe has been writing for EarthSky since 2018, and also assists with proofing and social media.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"View larger. | Composite image showing location of some of the ammonia-bearing compounds on Jupiter\u2019s moon Europa (red…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":280509,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[144159,139555,144160,20179,85,46,141,145],"class_list":{"0":"post-280508","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-science","8":"tag-ammonia-on-europa","9":"tag-cryovolcanism","10":"tag-galileo-mission","11":"tag-habitability","12":"tag-il","13":"tag-israel","14":"tag-science","15":"tag-space"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/280508","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=280508"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/280508\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/280509"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=280508"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=280508"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=280508"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}