Scientists Made A Discovery On Pluto’s Largest Moon Which May Shed Light On Its Icy Origins
Since its discovery in 1978, Pluto’s largest moon, Charon, has been studied closely. However, scientists have been unable to narrow down all the components that make up the moon’s surface—until now.
The new findings may help shed some light on the origins of Charon and other icy celestial bodies located at the edge of the solar system.
A team of astronomers led by Silvia Protopapa from the Southwest Research Institute used the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to investigate Charon. They detected carbon dioxide and hydrogen peroxide on the moon’s frozen surface.
“Our research reveals that Charon’s surface preserves evidence of its formation through the presence of carbon dioxide, as well as signs of irradiation processes, indicated by the presence of hydrogen peroxide,” said Protopapa.
“These discoveries expand Charon’s known compositional inventory, which includes water ice, ammonia-bearing species, and organic materials responsible for its gray and red coloration.”
Charon is about 750 miles wide and is located in the Kuiper Belt, a ring of comets, dwarf planets, and icy debris at the solar system’s edge.
Charon’s surface is not covered with volatile ices like methane, unlike many of the other larger objects in the Kuiper Belt.
This means it allows scientists to examine the craters and the effects of sunlight exposure on such a distant celestial body.
In addition, Charon is the only mid-sized trans-Neptunian object (TNO) for which geologic mapping is available, thanks to data gathered by NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft from when it visited the Pluto system about a decade ago.
revers_jr – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only
“Overall, these factors make Charon an invaluable target from which we can learn extensively,” said Protopapa.
“Our findings provide valuable insights into how processes such as sunlight exposure and cratering shape the surface of Charon and, by extension, other mid-sized icy bodies beyond Neptune’s orbit.”
The composition of stars, moons, and planets can be determined from wavelengths of light that reflect off their surfaces.
By using a technique called spectroscopy, traces of elements and chemical compounds can be identified.
Protopapa and colleagues compared JWST spectroscopic observations with measurements and detailed models of Charon’s surface.
They concluded that carbon dioxide is present in a water-ice-rich subsurface. Charon’s surface features multiple craters surrounded by water ice and ammonia-bearing compounds, suggesting that impact events exposed materials that were originally beneath the surface.
The team believes that the layer of carbon dioxide was from Charon’s interior and has been exposed to the surface due to impact events.
It was expected that carbon dioxide would be detected because the compound is known to be in regions of the protoplanetary disk from which the Pluto system was formed.
However, the detection of hydrogen peroxide was a surprise. Its presence on Charon indicates that ultraviolet light from the sun, energetic particles from the solar wind, and charged particles from beyond the solar system are altering the moon’s water-ice-rich surface.
The team plans to continue their studies of Charon to better understand icy TNOs. Their research was published in Nature Communications.
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