Trending Now - Mysterious Atmosphere Discovered on Distant Object Beyond Pluto
WHO:
Live Science - Japanese astronomers conducted the study.
Live Science - Alan Stern, a planetary scientist and principal investigator for NASA's New Horizons mission, commented on the findings.
Live Science - Ko Arimatsu, an associate professor and senior lecturer at the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, is the study's first author.
WHAT:
Live Science - The object is known as (612533) 2002 XV 93, which is about 311 miles (500 kilometers) across.
Live Science - The atmosphere is expected to last less than 1,000 years unless replenished with gas.
Live Science - The atmosphere is described as being too thin to support life, around 5 million to 10 million times thinner than Earth's atmosphere.
Mashable - Scientists discovered a thin, possibly temporary atmosphere around the Trans-Neptunian Object known as 2002 XV93.
Live Science - The object is about 311 miles (500 kilometers) across, more than four times smaller than Pluto.
Science Daily - The atmosphere is faint and short-lived, expected to vanish within about 1,000 years unless replenished.
Live Science - The atmosphere is around 5 million to 10 million times thinner than Earth's atmosphere.
WHERE:
Live Science - The object is located within the Kuiper Belt in the cold outer reaches of the solar system.
Live Science - Observations were made from three sites in Japan.
WHEN:
Live Science - Observations of the object occurred during a stellar alignment in January 2024.
Live Science - The study was published on May 4 in the journal Nature Astronomy.
WHY:
Live Science - The discovery challenges assumptions about which objects can sustain atmospheres in our solar system.
Live Science - The atmosphere's existence raises questions about how it could have formed around such a small, cold world.
HOW:
Live Science - Researchers observed the object as it passed directly in front of a distant star during a stellar alignment in January 2024, noting a smooth change in the star's brightness lasting about 1.5 seconds.
Live Science - Researchers observed the object as it passed in front of a distant star, noting a gradual loss of starlight caused by the atmosphere.
Live Science - The observations suggested a smooth change in the star's brightness lasting about 1.5 seconds, indicating the presence of an atmosphere.
Live Science - Future observations, particularly by the James Webb Space Telescope, are planned to confirm the atmosphere's existence and understand its origin.
(UPDATED May 6, 2026 13:28 UTC)
Researchers have recently observed an object known as (612533) 2002 XV 93, which measures approximately 311 miles across, as it passed in front of a distant star during a stellar alignment in January 2024. This object has an atmosphere that is expected to last less than 1,000 years unless it is replenished with gas, and it is described as being far too thin to support life, measuring around 5 million to 10 million times thinner than Earth's atmosphere. The observation revealed a smooth change in the star's brightness that lasted about 1.5 seconds.
--
(UPDATED May 6, 2026 11:34 UTC)
Japanese astronomers have made a groundbreaking discovery of a thin, possibly temporary atmosphere surrounding the Trans-Neptunian Object known as 2002 XV93, which is located in the Kuiper Belt and measures about 311 miles across. The study, led by Ko Arimatsu from the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan and published in the journal Nature Astronomy, reveals that this atmosphere is incredibly faint, estimated to be around 5 million to 10 million times thinner than Earth's, and could vanish within about 1,000 years unless replenished. Observations were conducted during a stellar alignment in January 2024, and researchers are planning future observations with the James Webb Space Telescope to further investigate the atmosphere's existence and formation.