SMRTR Science & EngineeringMay 4, 2026Science News

A small object past Pluto may have a thin atmosphere

SMRTR summary

A small object beyond Pluto called 2002 XV93 may have a thin atmosphere, detected when it briefly passed in front of a star and caused the starlight to dim gradually rather than cut off sharply. This unexpected finding challenges the assumption that small, distant icy worlds are frozen and inactive, potentially hinting at recent impacts or icy volcanoes.

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