Webb and Hubble Uncover 27 Tiny Distant Objects Beyond Neptune
TL;DR
The JWST and Hubble teamed up to identify 27 newly discovered Trans-Neptunian Objects beyond Neptune, each under about 40 km across. Using infrared measurements to determine sizes and analyzing color/composition, the researchers found that the smallest TNOs retain pristine surfaces, challenging expectations that collisions would heavily alter them. The deep survey—described in two papers in The Astronomical Journal—reveals similar size distributions for both the cold Kuiper Belt and the hot scattered-disk populations, implying planetesimal formation produced comparable sizes regardless of the disk’s conditions and raising questions about the rate or effects of distant impacts.
Topics:science#hubble-space-telescope#james-webb-space-telescope#kuiper-belt#planetesimals#space#trans-neptunian-objects
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