Astronomers believe they’ve detected an atmosphere around a tiny, icy world beyond Pluto
Summary
Scientists observed a tiny icy object beyond Pluto called (612533) 2002 XV93 and found signs of a very thin atmosphere around it. This discovery challenges the usual idea that only bigger planets and moons have atmospheres and gives new information about small objects in the distant Kuiper Belt region of our solar system.Key Facts
- The object, about 300 miles (500 kilometers) wide, is the smallest known in the solar system with a global atmosphere.
- It orbits the sun farther away than Pluto, in a region called the Kuiper Belt.
- Researchers detected the atmosphere by watching the object block a distant star’s light and noticing a gradual dimming and brightening.
- The atmosphere is extremely thin—5 to 10 million times thinner than Earth’s atmosphere and 50 to 100 times thinner than Pluto’s.
- Possible gases in the atmosphere include methane, nitrogen, or carbon monoxide.
- The atmosphere might come from volcanic activity or a recent comet impact.
- Scientists want to confirm this with future observations, especially using NASA’s Webb Space Telescope.
- Understanding this object helps improve knowledge about small, cold bodies at the edge of our solar system.
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