A small object in the solar system, beyond Pluto and designated 2002 XV93, may have a tenuous atmosphere. If confirmed, it would be the first body of its size known to have such a feature. The finding suggests that the icy worlds of the Kuiper Belt are not as inactive as previously thought, according to astronomer Ko Arimatsu. Until now, only Pluto had a confirmed atmosphere in that region.
How to detect an atmosphere at a near-freezing point 🌌
Arimatsu's team used the Subaru telescope in Hawaii to observe a stellar occultation, a method that measures the light from a star as it passes behind the object. If there is an atmosphere, the light dims gradually rather than cutting off abruptly. For 2002 XV93, about 600 km in diameter, the data showed that smooth drop. Although the atmosphere would be extremely thin, its existence would indicate active geological processes, such as ice sublimation, on a body that was believed to be completely frozen.
Pluto is no longer the only one with a gaseous belly in the family 🎈
Until now, Pluto was the diva of the neighborhood, the only one with its own air layer, even if it was almost fake. But 2002 XV93 comes to say: hey, there's atmosphere here too, even if it's just a little. So, the Kuiper Belt seems like a dry ice party where everyone wants their own cloud. If confirmed, textbooks will need to be revised, and, by the way, it makes you wonder what else is hiding in that darkness.