Tag

Kuiper Belt

All articles tagged with #kuiper belt

science13 days ago•2 min saved

Small Kuiper Belt Object Carries Its Own Atmosphere, Astronomers Say

Astronomers using stellar occultation detected a thin atmosphere around the 500 km-wide Kuiper Belt object 2002 XV93, a surprising find for such a small body that normally cannot retain gases. The atmosphere’s origin is uncertain—possible ice‑volcano outgassing or a recent impact—and could dissipate within about a thousand years. The study, published in Nature Astronomy on May 6, 2026, broadens ideas about where atmospheres can exist in the outer solar system.

via DOGO News|

#2002-xv93 #astronomy #atmosphere

science20 days ago•3 min saved

Tiny Kuiper World Reveals Thin Atmosphere, Second of Its Kind

Astronomers observed the small Kuiper Belt object 2002 XV93 (about 311 miles across) during a stellar occultation and found a very thin atmosphere, making it only the second TNO known to have one after Pluto. The atmosphere, five to ten million times thinner than Earth's, could result from cryovolcanic activity or a recent icy impact; its persistence or dissipation could help distinguish between these sources. Future James Webb Space Telescope observations may detect additional gases like methane or carbon monoxide.

via Futurism|

#atmosphere #cryovolcanism #kuiper-belt

space21 days ago•74 min saved

Tiny Kuiper Belt World Grows a Mysterious, Vanishingly Thin Atmosphere

A diminutive trans-Neptunian object known as (612533) 2002 XV93 (a ~500 km Pluto-like body in Neptune’s 2:3 resonance) has unexpectedly developed a thin atmosphere (exosphere). Its presence was inferred from a January 2024 stellar occultation observed by a Japan-led team; the exosphere is extremely tenuous, with surface pressures of 100–200 nanobars—5 to 10 million times thinner than Earth’s. The atmosphere could originate from a recent impact or from cryovolcanic outgassing, but either way it challenges the idea that only large bodies can sustain atmospheres. If it’s impact-driven, the gas would escape within ~1,000 years; if outgassing, the source is ongoing beneath the surface. JWST observations and density monitoring in coming years should help pinpoint the cause. The discovery was published May 4 in Nature Astronomy.

via Space|

#atmosphere #cryovolcanism #kuiper-belt

science22 days ago•182 min saved

Tiny Kuiper Belt World Reveals a Surprising Atmosphere

Astronomers using a rare January 2024 stellar occultation in Japan detected a thin atmosphere around the small trans-Neptunian object (612533) 2002 XV93, a body about 500 km across in the Kuiper Belt. The atmosphere is estimated to be 5–10 million times thinner than Earth's. It could be produced by cryovolcanism or a past impact; if replenished regularly, it might persist longer, otherwise it could dissipate in a few hundred years. Future observations, including with the James Webb Space Telescope, aim to determine its composition and evolution, potentially overturning assumptions that tiny, distant objects can’t have atmospheres and highlighting Kuiper Belt activity.

via CNN|

#astronomy #atmosphere #kuiper-belt

space22 days ago•3 min saved

Tiny Kuiper World Reveals a Global Atmosphere, Redefining Small-Body Atmospheres

Astronomers using a 2024 stellar occultation detected a very thin, global atmosphere around the tiny icy Kuiper Belt object (612533) 2002 XV93, suggesting atmospheres can exist on small bodies and hinting at possible internal gas sources or surface outgassing; further observations are needed to verify and characterize its composition.

via NBC News|

#2002-xv93 #astronomy #atmosphere

space22 days ago•4 min saved

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.

via CBS News|

#astronomy #atmosphere #kuiper-belt

science22 days ago•34 min saved

Tiny Kuiper World Displays a Delicate Atmosphere, Defying Size Assumptions

Astronomers have found evidence of a thin, global atmosphere around a tiny icy Kuiper Belt object, (612533) 2002 XV93, about 300 miles across. Using stellar occultations observed in 2024 from three Japanese telescopes, the study suggests the atmosphere is 5–10 million times thinner than Earth's (and 50–100 times thinner than Pluto's) and may be composed of methane, nitrogen, or carbon monoxide. If confirmed, this object would be the solar system's smallest body with a detectable atmosphere, challenging the idea that atmospheres only exist on larger planets and dwarf planets. Independent verification is needed, and future observations—especially with the Webb Space Telescope—could reveal the atmosphere's makeup or its variability, hinting at internal gas sources or surface activity like ice volcanoes.

via Yahoo|

#2002-xv93 #astronomy #atmosphere

astronomy2 months ago•53 min saved

Space snowmen in the Kuiper Belt: a new clue to their formation

New simulations show that spinning clouds of pebble-sized particles can form contact binaries—two linked bodies—and even triple planetesimals, offering a simple explanation for space snowmen in the Kuiper Belt; the study finds about 4% of simulated planetesimals become contact binaries, a share below the previously thought 10–25%, and notes that more detailed particle modeling could raise that fraction.

via Space|

#astronomy #kuiper-belt #planetesimals

space3 months ago•5 min saved

Snowman-Shaped Kuiper Belt Object Reveals a Quiet Route to Planet Formation

A new study shows Arrokoth-like bilobed objects can form directly from the gravitational collapse of small pebbles in the early solar system, producing the snowman shape without violent mergers and suggesting such binaries may be more common in the Kuiper Belt; simulations found several instances of this outcome, supporting a calmer path to planet formation.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#arrokoth #contact-binary #gravitational-collapse

science3 months ago•3 min saved

Gentle Gravity Shapes Peanut-Shaped Kuiper Belt Objects

A new study using 54 simulations of pebble clouds (each with 100,000 particles) shows that peanut-shaped Kuiper Belt objects like Arrokoth can form through gentle gravitational collapse rather than violent impacts. About 29 of the simulations produced Arrokoth-like contact binaries, supporting the idea that such objects arise from mild formation processes, though only about 3% of the planetesimals formed a contact binary in the model, indicating more work is needed.

via Gizmodo|

#arrokoth #contact-binary #gravitational-collapse

space3 months ago•3 min saved

Pebble-cloud collapse may forge Arrokoth’s snowman shape

New computer simulations show that gentle gravitational collapse of pebble clouds in the early solar system can produce double-lobed, snowman‑like bodies such as Arrokoth, via two small planetesimals merging at about 5 meters per second to form a contact binary. The results support a gentle formation path for Kuiper belt objects, though the model predicts about 4% of objects form this way, while telescopic surveys suggest higher fractions, implying other formation routes may also contribute.

via The Guardian|

#arrokoth #contact-binary #gravitational-collapse

science4 months ago•4 min saved

Astronomers Discover Unexpected Compact Cluster at Solar System's Edge

Astronomers have discovered a new compact cluster of icy objects in the Kuiper belt beyond Neptune, called the inner kernel, which may provide insights into the early dynamics of the outer solar system and Neptune's migration. Using advanced data analysis and orbit recalculations, the study suggests this cluster could be a remnant of planetary movement or a separate formation, challenging existing models of solar system evolution.

via Earth.com|

#astronomy #kbos #kuiper-belt

science5 months ago•4 min saved

Unusual Structure Discovered at Solar System's Edge

Astronomers have discovered a new compact cluster of icy objects in the Kuiper belt, called the inner kernel, which challenges existing models of solar system formation and suggests complex gravitational influences, possibly from Neptune's migration.

via Earth.com|

#astronomy #kbos #kuiper-belt

science5 months ago•4 min saved

Scientists Reinstate the Nine-Planet Model Amid Evidence of a Hidden Planet

Astronomers have found preliminary evidence of a potential ninth planet in our solar system, based on infrared data from decades-old sky surveys indicating a distant, Neptune-sized object beyond the Kuiper Belt. Further observations are needed to confirm its existence and orbit, which could explain gravitational anomalies observed in the Kuiper Belt. The discovery, if verified, would add a new ice giant to our solar system, similar in composition to Uranus and Neptune.

via Indian Defence Review|

#distant-planet #infrared-surveys #kuiper-belt

science7 months ago•3 min saved

Scientists suggest a hidden Earth-sized planet may be closer than 'Planet Nine'

A recent study suggests the possible existence of a small, Earth-sized planet, dubbed 'Planet Y', in the outer Solar System, inferred from a 15-degree tilt in the Kuiper Belt objects' orbital plane, which could explain gravitational influences in that region. The discovery is not confirmed but provides a promising direction for future planetary searches.

via ScienceAlert|

#astronomical-tilt #kuiper-belt #outer-solar-system