Astronomers believe they've detected an atmosphere around a tiny, icy world beyond Pluto
Yahoo • • science
Key Points:
- A new study reveals that the Kuiper Belt object (612533) 2002 XV93, about 300 miles across, has a thin atmosphere possibly formed by volcanic activity or a comet impact.
- This minor planet, located beyond Pluto, is the smallest solar system object known to have a global atmosphere held by gravity, challenging previous assumptions that atmospheres only exist on larger bodies.
- The atmosphere is extremely thin—5 to 10 million times less dense than Earth's and 50 to 100 times thinner than Pluto's—and likely consists of methane, nitrogen, or carbon monoxide.
- Researchers observed the atmosphere by detecting the dimming of a background star as the object passed in front of it, using three telescopes in Japan in 2024.
- Future observations, particularly with NASA’s Webb Space Telescope, are needed to confirm the atmosphere’s composition and origin, with variations potentially indicating volcanic activity or a comet impact.
