Wednesday, September 16, 2026

For Trans-Neptunian Objects, The Past Is Written On Their Surface

This artist’s concept depicts a Trans-Neptunian Object, a small, faint, icy body orbiting the Sun beyond the orbit of Neptune. Credit: NASA, ESA, Leah Hustak (STScI)

Some Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs) formed closer to the Sun and migrated to the outer solar system, while others formed there originally. A new study finds that "hot" and "cold" origin TNOs can be distinguished not only by their orbits, but also by their surface color.



No comments:

Post a Comment