The Ice Centaur Riddle: What Is Chiron Hiding? ⚡ экспресс
High-resolution JWST/NIRSpec spectroscopy of centaur 2060 Chiron revealed gas emissions of CH₄ and CO₂ with spatial structure and production rates Q(CH₄) = (1.55 ± 0.04) × 10²⁷ molecules s⁻¹ and Q(CO₂) = (1.01 ± 0.06) × 10²⁶ molecules s⁻¹. The surface spectrum contains bands of water ice, CO₂, CO, and organic refractory compounds, but absorption lines of methane ice are absent. This indicates direct sublimation of CO₂ from the surface, while methane comes from a subsurface reservoir. The absence of gaseous CO despite the presence of solid CO may be explained by thermal isolation of deep primordial reserves or inefficient release of radiation-produced near-surface CO from the matrix. The data suggest vertical stratification of volatiles, possibly resulting from long-term thermal evolution or partial differentiation. Chiron sharply differs from other active small bodies, where CO usually dominates, indicating a broader range of volcanic and thermophysical processes driving centaur activity.
Using the JWST space telescope, astronomers conducted a chemical analysis of the centaur Chiron, an icy body from the fringes of the Solar System. It turns out its gas activity resembles a layered cake. Carbon dioxide evaporates from the surface, forming a top crust. Deeper down, like a filling, methane seeps out. And at the very core, carbon monoxide lurks—frozen solid because heat barely reaches it.
This layering points to a complex interior, where each layer evaporates at a different temperature. JWST has revealed this chemical stratification in detail for the first time, showing that icy wanderers “breathe” in different ways. On Chiron, methane and carbon dioxide even form separate, unmixed clouds. This shifts our picture of how such bodies shed mass.
🎯 On most active asteroids and comets, carbon monoxide is the primary gas. Chiron defies the norm: here, methane dominates, while carbon monoxide stays locked inside.