James Webb detects carbon dioxide and hydrogen peroxide on Pluto's largest moon, Charon
James Webb uncovers CO2 and hydrogen peroxide on Charon, offering new insights.
The James Webb Space Telescope made a breakthrough by detecting carbon dioxide and hydrogen peroxide on Charon, Pluto's largest moon. The research, led by Dr. Silvia Protopapa from the Southwest Research Institute, sheds light on the surface composition of icy bodies in the Kuiper Belt, revealing more about their formation and exposure to space conditions.
Charon's relatively volatile-free surface enables clearer compositional analysis, unlike other celestial bodies in the region. The presence of carbon dioxide aligns with previous expectations, suggesting it originates from beneath the moon's surface, exposed by cratering events, while hydrogen peroxide indicates irradiation effects.
These findings are crucial for understanding the role of cratering and radiation on icy bodies' surfaces beyond Neptune's orbit. Continued observations with the JWST aim to cover spectral gaps left in current studies, revealing more about Charon's chemical inventory and environmental processes.