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Scientists discover mystery molecule on Pluto and Saturn's moon Titan: 'We cannot say what it is'
Yahoo • • science
Key Points:
- Observations from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have detected an identical, unexplained infrared absorption feature on the surfaces of Saturn's moon Titan and the dwarf planet Pluto, suggesting similar underlying chemistry despite their vastly different environments.
- The mysterious infrared signature, found at the same wavelength on both worlds, points to an unknown compound or family of compounds not yet identified, with hydrocarbons called allenes considered a possible candidate.
- Evidence indicates the compound forms in the atmosphere through photochemical reactions involving nitrogen and methane before settling onto the surface, supported by the feature's spatial behavior on Titan and Pluto's thin atmosphere.
- The absence of this signature on Jupiter's moon Ganymede, which lacks a nitrogen-methane atmosphere, further supports the theory that the compound is linked to nitrogen-methane atmospheric chemistry.
- Future JWST observations and NASA's Dragonfly mission to Titan (launching 2028) are expected to provide more data to help identify the compound and understand its distribution across Titan's surface.
