Space

Carbon dioxide gas found throughout the atmosphere of Callisto hints it has a complex carbon cycle – akin to the one which on Earth helps to sustain life

The surface of Jupiter's moon Callisto is scarred with impact craters — The surface of Jupiter’s moon Callisto is scarred with impact craters, and its atmosphere holds carbon dioxide gas
NASA/JPL/DLR

Astronomers have spotted gaseous carbon dioxide across the atmosphere of Jupiter’s second-largest moon, Callisto, hinting that it might have a much more complex carbon cycle than we thought. On Earth, the carbon cycle helps to sustain a stable climate.

Callisto is one of the solar system’s oldest objects, having formed some 4.5 billion years ago around Jupiter. It is also one of the most battered objects, with a surface blanketed by craters.…

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