2002 XV93: A Kuiper Belt Object with a Detected Atmosphere

Ko Arimatsu detected a thin atmosphere around Kuiper Belt object 2002 XV93.
2002 XV93 is 470 km wide and 3.4 billion miles away, the smallest object with a global atmosphere.
Atmosphere may originate from ice volcanoes or a recent icy body impact.
NASA's Webb Space Telescope will confirm the atmosphere's composition.
Alan Stern, lead scientist for New Horizons, called the findings significant.

Astronomy | Discovery | Atmosphere

United States | Japan

Ko Arimatsu | Alan Stern

3 weeks ago