Florida Space Institute Discovers CO2 and CO Ices – First Time in Our Solar System

News 30 May 2024

Another groundbreaking discovery about our galaxy and outer space came to light as the Florida Space Institute discovered CO2 and CO ices on objects beyond Neptune.

The team of scientists from the University of Central Florida marks this incredible first-time identification as a breakthrough in our study of space. James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), with its infrared spectral features, was used to access the objects’ chemical composition

The researchers found 59 centaurs and trans-Neptunian substances with abundant carbon di- and monoxide ice on the protoplanetary disk. All 59 of them had carbon dioxide present on their surface. The incredible study of this solar system’s rotating disk was published in Nature Astronomy, paying the way for many future discoveries. Carbon monoxide was found only in 28 TNOs.

These findings suggest that carbon monoxide was exclusively detected in objects with a significant concentration. However, regardless of their size dynamics or class, carbon dioxide was broadly dispersed throughout the surfaces of the trans-Neptunian population.

“The study is an incredible advancement in our knowledge of space and sheds light on how our solar system formed and how celestial objects migrate,” Scientist Mário Nascimento De Prá said. “The Trans-Neptunian Objects are remnants of the planetary creation process. Their discovery may provide a significant foreground to learn about the formation of these objects, their current location, and the evolution of their surfaces over time,” he added.

Carbon dioxide is abundant in our solar system and its objects. However, it’s the first time the element has been detected beyond Neptune. The prevalence of CO2 & CO and their reason for occupation in TNOs raises many questions and opens new doors to curiosity.

Further research on the dynamic and optical characteristics of these elements may be an active subject in the space world. The pioneering study on the discovery and characteristics of elements outside the Neptune bodies is a scientific breakthrough. Further research on the origin and construction of these objects can unlock a new era of the dimensional studies of space.