Centaurs Archives

Spectral characterization of Chiron’s surface composition. a Comparison of the bestfit spectral model of the surface composition (red) with the measured spectrum (black). The surface is best described by an intimate mixture of water ice in both amorphous and crystalline phases, carbon dioxide ice, and tholin-like materials. b Residuals between the model and the data show an excellent fit, with a root mean square deviation that is just 1% higher than the average scatter in the data. c Zoomed-in view of the complex organic absorption feature spanning 3.3–3.6 µm, with the individual component bands indicated by dashed lines. Comparison between the measured spectrum and synthetic spectra of several candidate species, convolved to the spectral resolution of the data, points to C3H8 and/or ice tholins produced by the irradiation of H2O ice and C2H6 as the most plausible candidates for the observed organic feature. -- astro-ph.EP

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Comets and Asteroids, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Status Report

JWST Reveals Anomalously Enhanced Methane Outgassing From Below Chiron’s Water Ice And Carbon Dioxide Bearing Surface

by Keith CowingMay 26, 2026May 26, 2026

Centaurs are inward-scattered Kuiper belt objects, with some exhibiting comet-like activity. The physical mechanisms powering this activity remain poorly understood, with carbon monoxide (CO) sublimation or the crystallization of amorphous […]

Centaurs

JWST Reveals Anomalously Enhanced Methane Outgassing From Below Chiron’s Water Ice And Carbon Dioxide Bearing Surface

ALMA Central Molecular Zone Exploration Survey (ACES) I: Overview

RNA And Proteins Joined Up At The Origins Of Life: Persistence Is The Point

Selection For Growth Drives The Emergence Of Genetic Heredity In Protocells

NASA SMD ROSES-25 Amendment 65: New Opportunity: C.4 Planetary Science Enabling Facilities

TESS Photometry and Radial Velocity Analysis of the sub-Neptune Exoplanet π Mensae c and the Wider π Mensae Planetary System