Study Findings: Detection of an Atmosphere on a Trans-Neptunian Object Beyond Pluto

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Image (Credit): An artist’s rendering of NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft approaching Pluto with its largest moon Charon in the background. (NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory/Southwest Research Institute)

Nature Astronomy abstract of study findings:

The only trans-Neptunioan object (TNO) with a detected atmosphere so far is Pluto, which has an average surface pressure of 10 μbar. Investigations of other large (>500 km) TNOs have only been able to establish upper limits of 1–100 nbar. A recent near-infrared study reported methane gas emission from Makemake, although its origin remains uncertain. Here we report that a stellar occultation campaign performed on 10 January 2024 of the ~250-km-radius plutino (612533) 2002 XV93 reveals a refractive signature, indicating a thin atmosphere. We derive a surface pressure of 100–200 nbar, above the previous limits for other larger bodies. This discovery shows that even a few-hundred-kilometre TNO can host, at least transiently, an atmosphere, challenging standard volatile-retention scenarios. Our findings suggest that a fraction of distant icy minor planets can exhibit atmospheres, potentially sustained by ongoing cryovolcanic activity or produced by a recent impact of a small icy object.

Citation: Arimatsu, K., Yoshida, F., Hayamizu, T. et al. Detection of an atmosphere on a trans-Neptunian object beyond Pluto. Nat Astron (2026).

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-026-02846-1

Study-related stories:

CNN – “Astronomers Find Atmosphere Around a Solar System Object that Shouldn’t Have One”

Science News – “A Small Object Past Pluto May Have a Thin Atmosphere”

The Japan Times– “Japan Astronomers Find Thin Atmosphere on Small Celestial Body Beyond Neptune”

Space Stories: New Artemis II Photos, JWST Studies Exoplanet Surface, and Japanese Space Sake for Sale

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Image (Credit): One of the new photo from the Artemis II mission recently released by NASA. (NASA)

Here are some recent space-related stories.

—ABC News: “NASA Releases More Than 12,000 Images from Historic Artemis II Moon Mission“

Over the weekend, NASA made public more than 12,000 photos from the historic Artemis II lunar mission…Over the course of the mission, NASA released dozens of images of the astronauts, Earth, the moon and even a total solar eclipse. However, the new trove reveals some never-before-seen photos as well as new angles of objects in space, primarily using Nikon cameras and iPhone 17s.

—ZME Science: “Astronomers Determine the Surface of a Rocky Planet Beyond Our Solar System for the First Time“

A rocky planet nearly 50 light-years away appears to be airless, dark, and covered in volcanic or weathered rock, according to new observations from the James Webb Space Telescope. This is the first time that astronomers have obtained details about the surface of a rocky planet outside our solar system. The planet, LHS 3844 b, is not habitable. It is about 30 percent larger than Earth, orbits its star every 11 hours, and has one side permanently pointing towards the Sun, baked at about 725°C.

—The Korean Times: “Space-fermented Sake by Japanese Brewer Dassai Sells for $700,000“

Japanese brewer Dassai has sold a 100-milliliter bottle of sake fermented on the International Space Station for 110 million yen ($700,000). Dassai partnered with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to ferment sake ingredients in space, the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper reported Monday. Using the space-fermented mash, or moromi, the brewery finished brewing the sake on Earth, yielding 116 milliliters. Dassai sold a 100-milliliter bottle of the final product to an unnamed Japanese buyer. The company plans to donate the proceeds to Japan’s space program.

Astronauts Unite!

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Uniting to support a good cause makes a lot of sense, and a number of astronauts would agree. That is why more than 100 former astronauts have joined to create a nonpartisan organization called Astronauts for America.

What do they believe? They support democracy here in America, and have links on their site to the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.

Should astronauts really need to join together to repeat what we should already be doing? Apparently so, from what they are saying, which is quite a statement about our current state of affairs. It is not only NASA and the US government that is under attack these days (by the US government, mind you). It is democracy itself.

This letter from the groups says it all:

To Our Fellow Americans:

Looking at the Earth from space, we see what unites us more than what divides us. As former NASA astronauts, that perspective shapes everything we do.

We view our oath to support and defend the U.S. Constitution as a lifelong commitment. And today, with the launch of Astronauts For America, we take on a new mission: to reinvigorate American democracy. It’s a critical mission that depends upon all of our vigilance and support.

For decades we’ve seen a steady erosion of our founding values and principles that weakens our democratic systems. The result has been political polarization and subversion of key constitutional and institutional norms, including bipartisan cooperation, executive constraint, and judicial independence.

In spaceflight, ignoring evidence costs scientific advancement, mission success, and even lives. In democracy, it costs trust, stability, international respect, and the health and well-being of the governed.

If you’re like us, you might not be used to talking about politics outside of your home. We didn’t spend time discussing who we voted for when we were working in the NASA Astronaut Corps. We know the importance of respecting one another and speaking up when things don’t look right. We’ve seen what Americans can achieve when we work as a team toward a common goal.

Our new mission is patriotic, not partisan. We are Republicans, Democrats, and Independents from many different backgrounds who share a love of this country. We believe deeply in the principles that have propelled our nation for 250 years, such as the rule of law, constructive checks and balances, equal opportunity, and the peaceful transfer of power. A strong democracy makes all else possible: economic growth, national security, and our rights and freedoms.

Astronauts For America will partner with voters and support leaders, regardless of party, who govern in accordance with the Constitution and work out differences to get things done for the good of the nation. We’ll also take officials to task when they ignore the rule of law or distort and disregard the facts.

We’re calling on all our fellow patriots to join us in this mission and put country over party. As we approach America’s 250th anniversary, remember the democratic values that have allowed our nation to excel. We encourage you to sign the pledge and join our crew at AstronautsForAmerica.org.

We are very grateful for the opportunities provided to us by this great country which allowed us to live our version of the American Dream. Together, let’s ensure that America remains a land of opportunity and a beacon of democracy for another 250 years.

Sincerely,
The Members of Astronauts For America

On the group’s website you can sign a pledge to support democracy and also contribute to their cause.

If we going to plant another US flag on the surface of the Moon in two years, let’s make sure that flag means something that we can be proud of more than 250 years after the founding of the country. And if this group of astronauts can help to make that happen, then I am a supporter.

Space Quote: NASA Budget Hearing and Artemis

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Credit: Image by Mila Okta Safitri from Pixabay

“But for all the Artemis II mission accomplished, how we arrived at it was far from perfect, and the decisions of previous administrations that led to these deficiencies deserves careful reflection. Almost the entirety of [the Space Launch System is repurposed decades-old Space Shuttle hardware. I understand why, the Shuttle program was ending, and it was important to look after the industrial base. I will also say that was at a time when we did not have a geopolitical competitor challenging America in the high ground of space, but perpetuating the past does not help us realize a better future. Even after over $100 billion of taxpayer funding to date, and this most recent and successful Artemis II mission, we would not have launched again until late 2028 with the aim of putting astronauts on the Moon under the previous plan. A plan with no hope of achieving this national imperative. You do not fly rockets like this every three plus years and expect success. Further, you do not make each vehicle a work of art by materially changing the configuration. You also do not build a base in orbit above the Moon, when the scientists, the engineers, the astronauts, and certainly the space-loving community want to be on the surface of the Moon, which is hard enough to achieve.”

-Statement by NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman at his hearing before the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies, earlier this week. He was justifying his revamping of the Artemis schedule and elimination of the Lunar Gateway. He also defended the White House’s cuts to his budget, though not everyone in the room was convinced. Ranking Member Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) was not happy with the planned cuts to the Science Mission Directorate, stating:

I think everyone in this room knows that without space science, there is no space exploration. Without space science, there is no new planetary discovery. Without space science, there is no NASA