For the first time, scientists have detected carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide ices on trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) in the distant regions of our solar system. These observations were made using the advanced infrared capabilities of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the largest and most powerful telescope ever deployed in space.
Study published in Nature Astronomy
A recent study, published in the journal Nature Astronomy, analyzed the chemical composition of 59 TNOs and Centaurs. This groundbreaking research indicates that carbon dioxide ice was prevalent in the cold outer regions of the protoplanetary disc, the vast disc of gas and dust from which the solar system originated.
Surprising findings and future research
The research team, led by planetary scientists Mário Nascimento De Prá and Noemí Pinilla-Alonso from the University of Central Florida’s Florida Space Institute (FSI), noted the unexpected abundance of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide ices on these distant objects. “It is the first time we observed this region of the spectrum for a large collection of TNOs, so in a sense, everything we saw was exciting and unique,” De Prá said. The origins of the carbon monoxide ice, however, remain a mystery requiring further investigation.
Experts believe this study could significantly enhance our understanding of the solar system’s formation and the migration patterns of celestial objects. “Trans-Neptunian Objects are relics from the process of planetary formation,” De Prá explained. “These findings can impose important constraints about where these objects were formed, how they reached the region they inhabit nowadays, and how their surfaces evolved since their formation. Because they formed at greater distances from the sun and are smaller than the planets, they contain the pristine information about the original composition of the protoplanetary disk.”