Scientists find CO2 and CO ice far away in our solar system for the first time

Scientists have observed carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide ices in the far reaches of our solar system on trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) for the first time.

The observations were made using the infrared spectral capabilities of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), which is the largest and most powerful telescope ever launched into space.

In a study published in the journal Nature Astronomy earlier this week, scientists analysed the chemical composition of 59 trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) and Centaurs.

The groundbreaking study suggests that carbon dioxide ice was abundant in the cold outer parts of the protoplanetary disc,the enormous revolving disc of gas and dust from which the solar system began.

However, a research team, led by planetary scientists Mário Nascimento De Prá and Noemí Pinilla-Alonso from the University of Central Florida's Florida Space Institute (FSI) also said that more investigation is required to understand the carbon monoxide ice's origins because it is also prevalent on the TNOs in the study.

As quoted by phys.org, De Prá, who co-authored the study, said, "It is the first time we observed this region of the spectrum for a large collection of TNOs, so in a sense, everything we saw was exciting and unique."

"We did not expect to find that carbon dioxide was so ubiquitous in the TNO region, and even less that carbon monoxide was present in so many TNOs," he added.

Experts believe that the study would help in understanding the formation of our solar system. It could also shed some light on how celestial objects may have migrated.

"Trans-Neptunian Objects are relics from the process of planetary formation," de Prá said, further adding, "These findings can impose important constraints about where these objects were formed, how they reached the region they inhabit nowadays, and how their surfaces evolved since their formation. Because they formed at greater distances to the sun and are smaller than the planets, they contain the pristine information about the original composition of the protoplanetary disk."

(With inputs from agencies)