Our special fall crowd-funder is going on now. Please donate today to help EarthSky keep going!<\/p>\n
- \n
- Centaurs in astronomy<\/strong> are icy objects orbiting the sun between Jupiter and Neptune.<\/li>\n
- The Webb Space Telescope<\/strong> observed Centaur 29P\/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1, finding jets of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide.<\/li>\n
- Unique outbursts<\/strong> on the highly active Centaur 29P occur every six to eight weeks, making it one of the most dynamic objects in the outer solar system.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
WebbTelescope.org published this news release October 2, 2024. Edits by EarthSky.<\/p>\n
Centaurs orbit between Jupiter and Neptune<\/h3>\n
Centaurs are the half-human, half-horse creatures that are part of ancient Greek mythology. But the field of astronomy has its own kind of centaurs: distant objects orbiting the sun between Jupiter and Neptune. The James Webb Space Telescope has mapped the gases spewing from one of these objects, suggesting a varied composition and providing new insights into the formation and evolution of the solar system.<\/p>\n
Centaurs are former trans-Neptunian objects that have been moved inside Neptune\u2019s orbit by subtle gravitational influences of the planets in the last few million years. And they may eventually become short-period comets. They are hybrid<\/em> in the sense that they are in a transitional stage of their orbital evolution. Plus, many of them share characteristics with trans-Neptunian objects (from the cold Kuiper Belt reservoir), and short-period comets.<\/p>\n
Since these small icy bodies are in an orbital transitional phase, they have been the subject of various studies. Scientists seek to understand their composition and what causes their outgassing activity where they lose their ices that lie underneath the surface. And how do they serve as a link between primordial icy bodies in the outer solar system and evolved comets? <\/p>\n
![\"Diagram](\"https:\/\/earthsky.org\/upl\/2024\/10\/Outgasing-elements-of-centaur-Webb.png\")
Scientists used Webb\u2019s NIRSpec instrument to study Centaur 29P to reveal detailed composition of its gas jets. While previous observations noted a carbon monoxide (CO) jet towards Earth, Webb identified two new jets of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the north and south, along with another CO jet to the north. The varying abundances of CO and CO2 suggest Centaur 29P may have formed from different components, although alternative explanations for its outgassing are also being explored. Image via NASA\/ ESA\/ CSA\/ Leah Hustak (STScI)\/ Sara Faggi (NASA-GSFC American University).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Webb gathered data on a distant centaur<\/h3>\n
A team of scientists recently used Webb\u2019s NIRSpec (Near-Infrared Spectrograph) instrument to obtain data on Centaur 29P\/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 (29P for short), an object that is known for its highly active and quasi-periodic outbursts. It varies in intensity every six to eight weeks, making it one of the most active objects in the outer solar system. They discovered a new jet of carbon monoxide (CO) and previously unseen jets of carbon dioxide (CO2) gas, which give new clues to the nature of the centaur\u2019s nucleus.<\/p>\n
According to lead author of the study, Sara Faggi of NASA\u2019s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and American University in Washington, D.C.:<\/p>\n
\n
Centaurs can be considered as some of the leftovers of our planetary system\u2019s formation. Because they are stored at very cold temperatures, they preserve information about volatiles in the early stages of the solar system. Webb really opened the door to a resolution and sensitivity that was impressive to us. When we saw the data for the first time, we were excited. We had never seen anything like this.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
- The Webb Space Telescope<\/strong> observed Centaur 29P\/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1, finding jets of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide.<\/li>\n