A team of researchers using NASA’s powerful James Webb Space Telescope has made groundbreaking discoveries about an object called Chiron, which inhabits the space between Jupiter and Neptune. Dubbed a “centaur,” Chiron is a hybrid that displays characteristics of both asteroids and comets.
The study, published in Astronomy & Astrophysics, revealed unique insights into Chiron’s surface and coma, the cloud-like envelope surrounding the object. The team detected carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide ice on Chiron’s surface, as well as methane gas in its coma. This chemical makeup sets it apart from other centaurs discovered so far.
The James Webb Space Telescope’s capabilities allowed scientists to detect these gases at vast distances from the Sun, where Chiron resides. The object has always been considered unusual among its peers, exhibiting comet-like behavior and possessing a ring system and debris field.
Chiron’s journey through our solar system is fascinating, as it originated from even farther out and is now passing through its current location. The research team plans to continue studying Chiron as it moves closer to Earth, hoping to unlock more secrets about how our solar system formed and evolved over billions of years.
The study sheds light on how bodies in the outer solar system can maintain activity through previously unknown mechanisms. It also provides clues about conditions in the early solar system, helping astronomers understand how similar objects evolve over time.
Source: https://studyfinds.org/asteroid-comet-ancient-ice-giant