(CNN) For the first time, scientists have discovered the presence of water vapor above the surface on Europa, Jupiter's icy moon first visited by one of the Voyager probes 40 years ago.

This adds to the intrigue of other previously discovered factors associated with the potential for life on Europa. The findings were published in the journal Nature Astronomy on Monday.

The research team observed Europa using the W. M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii -- one of the biggest telescopes in the world -- for 17 nights between 2016 and 2017. On one of those nights, they detected the signal for water vapor.

The researchers observed 5,202 pounds of water releasing from Europa per second, which could fill an Olympic-size swimming pool within minutes, according to NASA.

"Essential chemical elements and sources of energy, two of [the] three requirements for life, are found all over the solar system. But the third — liquid water — is somewhat hard to find beyond Earth," said Lucas Paganini, study author and NASA planetary scientist. "While scientists have not yet detected liquid water directly, we've found the next best thing: water in vapor form."

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