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James Webb Telescope Discovers Carbon Dioxide and Hydrogen Peroxide on Pluto's Moon Charon.

Science and Technology | Dated: 29 Oct 2024

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has identified Carbon Dioxide (CO₂) and Hydrogen Peroxide (H₂O₂) on the surface of Charon, the largest moon of Pluto.

🎯 Key Highlights:

  • - These discoveries were made using Webb's Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec).
  • - Charon was discovered in 1978 by James Christy and Robert Harrington at the US Naval Observatory in Arizona.

💡 Other Important Facts:

  • (i) This detection marks the first time these compounds have been identified on Charon, which has a diameter of approximately 1,200 kilometers (km) and orbits Pluto at a distance of about 19,640 km.
  • (ii) The identification of CO₂ and H₂O₂ adds to previously known materials on Charon’s surface, such as crystalline water ice and ammonia. The findings were published in Nature Communications.
  • (iii) The research team was led by the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) in Texas, United States of America (USA).

📚 Test Your Knowledge:

Which telescope made the recent discovery of Carbon Dioxide and Hydrogen Peroxide on Charon?

Correct Answer: James Webb Telescope

🚀 Quick Recap:

About NASA

  • Founder: Dwight D. Eisenhower
  • Headquarters: Washington, D.C