Tiny Kuiper World Could Host a Global Atmosphere, Study Suggests

A tiny trans-Neptunian object (612533) 2002 XV93, about 300 miles across in the Kuiper Belt, may have a global atmosphere, detected during an occultation in 2024 and thought to be 5–10 million times thinner than Earth's (50–100 times thinner than Pluto's). The atmosphere, if confirmed, could be methane, nitrogen, or carbon monoxide and might have been produced by ice volcanism or a comet impact; independent verification, likely with JWST, is needed, and some scientists urge caution until more data are in.