Japanese astronomers have detected a faint atmosphere on a small celestial body in the Kuiper Belt, a finding that changes what was known about these distant worlds. Until now, it was thought that only Pluto, with its greater gravity, could retain gases in that region. This discovery suggests that even smaller objects can harbor gaseous envelopes, opening new questions about their composition and evolution.
High-precision observations reveal the secret 🔭
The team used the Subaru Telescope and the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope (UKIRT) to analyze the object's light as it occulted a star. By measuring how the light dimmed, they identified a gas layer a few kilometers thick. The technique, similar to that used to study Pluto's atmosphere, allowed detection of signals from nitrogen or carbon monoxide. This indicates that the object, about 300 km in diameter, retains gases through a balance between its gravity and extreme temperature.
Pluto is no longer the only one with class in the neighborhood 😏
It seems Pluto loses its atmospheric exclusivity in the Kuiper Belt. Now any rock with a bit of gravity and aspirations of being a dwarf planet can boast its own air layer. Japanese astronomers have revealed that even the most modest bodies can afford to wear an atmosphere, even if it's so thin that not even the neighbors notice it. Perhaps soon we'll discover that even an asteroid has its own perfume cloud.