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[EN VIDÉO] These are all the known asteroids in our solar system. Look how numerous they are: Listed here are all the asteroids that astronomers have identified since…
Amazing GanymedeGanymede. It is larger than mercury, has a differentiated structure and a liquid core that creates a magnetic field. There’s even a nice atmosphere. But even if it has (almost) all the properties, Ganymede does not have the status of a planet. Because it does not revolve around the sun, but around Jupiter.
This moon, the largest in the solar system, has long attracted the attention of scientists, particularly because there is an ocean of liquid water beneath its frozen surface. However, Ganymede still holds many secrets.
Jupiter influences the nature of Ganymede’s surface
The researchers therefore turned the sharp eyes of the James Webb Telescope (JWSTJWST) to this distant star. And these new observations have revealed amazing details about the composition and thermal properties of Ganymede’s surface.
The results, presented to the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics, show the presence of water ice containing CO2. The JWST made it possible to map the distribution of this water ice and identify the polar regions as the areas of greatest concentration. This distribution could be influenced by the interactions between the magnetic fields of JupiterJupiter and Ganymede.