SouthernWorldwide.com – A new study indicates that a small, icy celestial body located beyond Pluto might possess a thin atmosphere, potentially formed by volcanic activity or a cometary impact.
This object, measuring approximately 300 miles in diameter, is believed to be the smallest known body in our solar system with a detectable global atmosphere held by gravity. The lead researcher, Ko Arimatsu from the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, stated this finding.
Alan Stern from the Southwest Research Institute, who is the principal investigator for NASA’s New Horizons mission to Pluto and beyond, commented that this is a remarkable discovery but requires independent confirmation. He added that the implications would be significant if verified. Stern was not involved in the study.
If confirmed, this rocky object would be the second celestial body discovered beyond Neptune in our solar system to have an atmosphere, following Pluto itself.
This discovery provides new insights into the distant and frigid objects residing in the Kuiper Belt, a region of our solar system. The researchers utilized three telescopes in Japan to observe the object in 2024 as it transited in front of a background star, causing a temporary dimming of the starlight.
Arimatsu explained via email that this finding alters our perception of small celestial bodies in the solar system, not just those beyond Neptune. He found the presence of an atmosphere around such a small object to be genuinely surprising, challenging the conventional belief that atmospheres are exclusive to larger planets, dwarf planets, and some substantial moons.
The object, officially designated (612533) 2002 XV93, is classified as a plutino, meaning it orbits the sun twice for every three orbits completed by Neptune. At the time of the study, it was situated over 3.4 billion miles away, making it even more distant than Pluto, which is the only other Kuiper Belt object known to have an atmosphere.
According to the study, published in the journal Nature Astronomy, the atmosphere of this cosmic iceball is estimated to be 5 million to 10 million times thinner than Earth’s atmosphere. It is also 50 to 100 times thinner than Pluto’s already tenuous atmosphere.
Arimatsu suggested that the most likely atmospheric components are methane, nitrogen, or carbon monoxide, any of which could account for the observed dimming during the object’s passage in front of the star.
Further observations, particularly by NASA’s Webb Space Telescope, could help confirm the composition of this atmosphere, Arimatsu noted.
Ice volcanoes or comet collision?
The researchers were unable to definitively determine the origin of the atmosphere, which is not dense enough to support life.
However, they proposed that it could have been generated by gases expelled from the object’s interior through erupting ice volcanoes.
Alternatively, the atmosphere might have been released by the impact of a comet, in which case it would gradually dissipate over time.
Jose-Luis Ortiz, a Spanish astronomer who studies dwarf planets beyond Neptune and was not involved in the research, found the results intriguing but advised caution.
“I still doubt that it is an atmosphere. We need more data,” he told AFP.
Ortiz suggested that an alternative explanation for the observed phenomena could be the presence of a ring closely orbiting the object.
Arimatsu acknowledged that he could not completely dismiss “exotic alternatives” to the atmospheric explanation.
However, he added that “a nearly edge-on ring does not seem consistent with the main features of our observations.”
Both astronomers emphasized the need for additional observations to shed more light on this enigmatic world, especially using the James Webb Space Telescope.
There have also been previous suggestions that a dwarf planet named Makemake, which is slightly smaller than Pluto, might possess a very thin atmosphere, although some scientists remain skeptical. Pluto was historically considered the ninth planet, but in 2006, the International Astronomical Union reclassified it as a dwarf planet.
In a recent development, NASA administrator Jared Isaacman indicated that the space agency was contemplating the reinstatement of Pluto as a full-fledged planet.
“I am very much in the camp of ‘make Pluto a planet again,'” Isaacman stated.
Isaacman made these remarks while supporting a proposal to reduce NASA’s science budget by half, which has drawn criticism from some astronomers.
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“It’s wild to ‘make Pluto a planet again’ while decimating the careers of those of us that study it!” wrote planetary scientist Adeene Denton on Bluesky.
