Astronomers from the University of Central Florida have made a groundbreaking discovery, uncovering a unique asteroid-comet hybrid known as 2060 Chiron. Measuring 125 miles (200km) in width, this “Centaur” body is unlike any other object found between Jupiter and Neptune.
Located in the dark depths of the solar system, Chiron has been puzzling scientists since its discovery in 1977. Its surface contains a mix of chemicals that date back to the formation of the solar system, including CO2, methane, and frozen water.
Using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), researchers have reconstructed Chiron’s chemical makeup, revealing that it is “like nothing” they’ve seen before. The object produces glowing tails of gas and dust like comets but also exhibits behaviors characteristic of asteroids.
Chiron’s uniqueness lies in its ability to produce a tail as it warms up from the sun, which is rare among objects in the solar system. This phenomenon allows scientists to study both the surface and the coma (the cloudy outer atmosphere) simultaneously.
Analyzing near-infrared images, researchers found that Chiron contains carbon dioxide, methane, water ice, and other compounds formed during the early days of the solar system. These findings suggest that there may be more variability among Centaurs than previously thought.
Future observations with the FWS telescope will help scientists learn more about this enigmatic body’s layers of ice and rock, shedding light on what makes Chiron so unusual.
Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-14254065/Scientists-discover-asteroid-comet-hybrid.html