Astronomers have detected a thin atmosphere around a small icy world beyond Pluto, according to a new study. The object, estimated to be about 500 kilometers across, is one of the smallest known bodies in the solar system to have an atmosphere.
The atmosphere is thought to be delicate and may have been created by volcanic eruptions or a comet strike. The study, published in a peer-reviewed journal, used observations from ground-based telescopes to detect the presence of gases around the world.
This discovery adds to the growing understanding of the diversity of objects in the Kuiper Belt, a region of icy bodies beyond Neptune. The exact composition of the atmosphere is still being analyzed, but it likely includes nitrogen and other volatile compounds.
