--- title: "NASA Reportedly Detects Signal Coming From One of Jupiter’s Moons" description: "NASA's Juno spacecraft has detected an fm radio signal from Jupiter's moon Ganymede. Find out more about this discovery." date: "2021-01-12" modified: "2021-01-20" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/nasa-signal-jupiters-moon" categories: - "Astronomy" - "Moon" - "Science & Energy" - "Space" tags: - "Ganymede" - "Juno" - "jupiter" - "NASA" - "the digest" --- # NASA Reportedly Detects Signal Coming From One of Jupiter’s Moons ![NASA's Juno spacecraft reportedly detected an FM radio signal coming from the Jovian moon Ganymede, local Utah news station KTVX reports.]() *\Image: NASA\* ## Ganymede Signal NASA's Juno space probe has made an exciting discovery in Jupiter's orbit, according to a NASA ambassador: the small spacecraft reportedly detected an FM radio signal coming from the Jupiter's largest moon, Ganymede. It's almost certainly a natural signal, the ambassador said. "It’s not E.T," Patrick Wiggins, one of NASA’s Ambassadors to Utah, told local Utah news station *[*KTVX reports*]()*. "It’s more of a natural function." The intriguing blurb remains shrouded in mystery. No other outlet appears to have confirmed Wiggins' remarks, and there doesn't appear to be any scientific paper or press release that corresponds with Wiggins' claims. Futurism has reached out to Wiggins and NASA for more details on the claim, and we'll update the story if we hear back. ## As Expected The signal was likely caused by electrons oscillating at a lower rate than their spin, amplifying radio waves considerably, according to *KTVX*'s reporting. The process, known as cyclotron maser instability (CMI), is also behind the [auroras on Jupiter that ]()by Juno observed in 2017. In other words, the discovery didn't come as a shock, especially considering they were picked up near [Jupiter's polar regions](), where magnetic field lines connect to Ganymede. We've known about this "decametric radio emission" emanating from Jupiter [since the 1960s](). On Earth, these signals roughly coincide with the Wi-Fi signals we use to surf the web, as [*ABC4* points out](). Juno was only able to spot the radio emission for five seconds as it was orbiting Jupiter at 50 kilometers per second, Wiggins said. **READ MORE:** [FM radio signal found coming from Jupiter moon]() \[*KTVX*\] **More on Juno:** *[NASA Detects Bright Flashes of Light on Jupiter]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()