Following a formal extension of five more years, the Juno mission has once again garnered attention due to a significant discovery. Yet, this revelation doesn’t revolve around Jupiter. The latest breakthrough revolves around Ganymede, the largest moon of the gas giant. As per reports, Juno has intercepted an FM radio transmission originating from the moon.
Could it be aliens trying to contact or something similar might explain the origin of this signal? Unfortunately, NASA officials believe it is of natural origin. So the chances of the signal being from an actual alien beings are very low.
The signal was a “decametric radio emission,” according to the official name, but we all know it by its more popular nickname, Wi-Fi. The frequency range is the same as that used by our Earthly communications.
Juno caught the FM radio signal while circling near Jupiter’s polar regions, close to the magnetic field that connects Jupiter to Ganymede. In terms of the actual reason, experts believe it was caused by electrons oscillating at a slower pace than usual. This is referred to as cyclotron maser instability.
Radio waves have long been known to exist on Jupiter, but none have ever been caught from its moons. Despite the fact that it is not an alien signal, the fact that it is the first of its kind from Ganymede makes it all the more significant.
Ganymede once again demonstrates why it is one of the Solar System’s most mysterious objects. Scientists have made numerous key discoveries concerning our solar system’s largest moon in the last decade, putting it high on the scientific list of exploration destinations.