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Study Finds Ozone on Jupiter’s Moon Callisto


Why is it in the news?

  • Scientists discovered evidence of ozone (O3) on Jupiter’s moon Callisto while investigating the chemical evolution of sulphur dioxide (SO2) with ultraviolet (UV) irradiation.
About Callisto 

·       After Saturn, Jupiter has the most moons in the Solar System, with a total of 95 officially recognized moons.

·       Callisto is one of Jupiter’s largest moons and ranks as the third-largest moon in the Solar System, following Ganymede and Titan.

·       Callisto’s composition primarily consists of water ice, rocky materials, sulphur dioxide, and some organic compounds.

·       The presence of these substances on Callisto makes it a potential candidate for supporting life in the Solar System beyond Earth, as water ice and organic compounds are essential building blocks for life as we know it.

·       Callisto’s surface is heavily cratered, indicating a long history of impacts from asteroids and comets.

About Ozone

·       Ozone, composed of three oxygen atoms, is an unstable compound that can easily form and break down.

·       The ozone layer in the stratosphere, located around 15-35 km above the ground, acts as an invisible shield protecting Earth from harmful UV radiation from the Sun, which can damage DNA, trigger mutations, and cause skin cancer and cataracts in humans. It also inhibits plant growth and has detrimental effects on various organisms.

·       However, ozone found near the surface of the Earth is considered a pollutant and has negative effects on humans, plants, and animals.

 


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