{"id":12110,"date":"2024-10-02T12:04:59","date_gmt":"2024-10-02T16:04:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zobi.alcowep.com\/bourtagshdrevxnls658739\/nasas-webb-reveals-unusual-jets-of-volatile-gas-from-icy-centaur-29p\/"},"modified":"2024-10-02T12:04:59","modified_gmt":"2024-10-02T16:04:59","slug":"nasas-webb-reveals-unusual-jets-of-volatile-gas-from-icy-centaur-29p","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zobi.alcowep.com\/bourtagshdrevxnls658739\/nasas-webb-reveals-unusual-jets-of-volatile-gas-from-icy-centaur-29p\/","title":{"rendered":"NASA\u2019s Webb Reveals Unusual Jets of Volatile Gas from Icy Centaur 29P"},"content":{"rendered":"

NASA\u2019s Webb Reveals Unusual Jets of Volatile Gas from Icy Centaur 29P<\/h2>\n

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7 Min Read<\/div>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tNASA\u2019s Webb Reveals Unusual Jets of Volatile Gas from Icy Centaur 29P\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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\"Artist\u2019s<\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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An artist\u2019s concept of Centaur 29P\/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1\u2019s outgassing activity as seen from the side.<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\t\t\tCredits: <\/span>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\tNASA, ESA, CSA, L. Hustak (STScI)<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Inspired by the half-human, half-horse creatures that are part of Ancient Greek mythology, the field of astronomy has its own kind of centaurs<\/a>: distant objects orbiting the Sun between Jupiter and Neptune. NASA\u2019s 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<\/a> that have been moved inside Neptune\u2019s orbit by subtle gravitational influences of the planets in the last few million years, and may eventually become short-period comets. They are \u201chybrid\u201d in the sense that they are in a transitional stage of their orbital evolution: Many share characteristics with both trans-Neptunian objects (from the cold Kuiper Belt<\/a> reservoir), and short-period comets, which are objects highly altered by repeated close passages around the Sun.<\/p>\n

Image A: Illustration<\/h2>\n
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\"Artist\u2019s<\/a><\/figure>
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An artist\u2019s concept of Centaur 29P\/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1\u2019s outgassing activity as seen from the side. While prior radio-wavelength observations showed a jet of gas pointed toward Earth, astronomers used NASA\u2019s James Webb Space Telescope to gather additional insight on the front jet\u2019s composition and noted three more jets of gas spewing from Centaur 29P\u2019s surface.<\/div>\n
NASA, ESA, CSA, L. Hustak (STScI)<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Since these small icy bodies are in an orbital transitional phase, they have been the subject of various studies as scientists seek to understand their composition, the reasons behind their outgassing activity \u2014 the loss of their ices that lie underneath the surface \u2014 and how they serve as a link between primordial icy bodies in the outer solar system and evolved comets.<\/p>\n

A team of scientists recently used Webb\u2019s NIRSpec (Near-Infrared Spectrograph)<\/a> 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<\/sub>) gas, which give new clues to the nature of the centaur\u2019s nucleus.<\/p>\n

\u201cCentaurs 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,\u201d said Sara Faggi of NASA\u2019s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and American University in Washington, DC, lead author of the study. \u201cWebb really opened the door to a resolution and sensitivity that was impressive to us \u2014 when we saw the data for the first time, we were excited. We had never seen anything like this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Webb and the Jets<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Centaurs\u2019 distant orbits and consequent faintness have inhibited detailed observations in the past. Data from prior radio wavelength observations of Centaur 29P showed a jet pointed generally toward the Sun (and Earth) composed of CO. Webb detected this face-on jet and, thanks to its large mirror and infrared capabilities, also sensitively searched for many other chemicals, including water (H2<\/sub>O) and CO2<\/sub>. The latter is one of the main forms in which carbon is stored across the solar system. No indication of water vapor was detected in the atmosphere of 29P, which could be related to the extremely cold temperatures present in this body.<\/p>\n

The telescope\u2019s unique imaging and spectral data revealed never-before-seen features: two jets of CO2<\/sub> emanating in the north and south directions, and another jet of CO pointing toward the north. This was the first definitive detection of CO2<\/sub> in Centaur 29P.<\/p>\n

Image B: IFU Graphic<\/h2>\n
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\"Graphic<\/a><\/figure>
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A team of scientists used NASA\u2019s James Webb Space Telescope\u2019s spectrographic capabilities to gather data on Centaur 29P\/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1, one of the most active objects in the outer solar system. The Webb data revealed never-before-seen features: two jets of carbon dioxide spewing in the north and south directions, and a jet of carbon monoxide pointing toward north.<\/div>\n
NASA, ESA, CSA, L. Hustak (STScI), S. Faggi (NASA-GSFC, American University)<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Based on the data gathered by Webb, the team created a 3D model of the jets to understand their orientation and origin. They found through their modeling efforts that the jets were emitted from different regions on the centaur\u2019s nucleus, even though the nucleus itself cannot be resolved by Webb. The jets\u2019 angles suggest the possibility that the nucleus may be an aggregate of distinct objects with different compositions; however, other scenarios can\u2019t yet be excluded.<\/p>\n

Video A: Zoom and Spin<\/h2>\n
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An artist\u2019s concept of Centaur 29P\/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1\u2019s outgassing activity as seen from the side. While prior radio-wavelength observations showed a jet of gas pointed toward Earth, astronomers used NASA\u2019s James Webb Space Telescope to gather additional insight on the front jet\u2019s composition and noted three more jets of gas spewing from Centaur 29P\u2019s surface.
Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, L. Hustak (STScI)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cThe fact that Centaur 29P has such dramatic differences in the abundance of CO and CO2<\/sub> across its surface suggests that 29P may be made of several pieces,\u201d said Geronimo Villanueva, co-author of the study at NASA Goddard. \u201cMaybe two pieces coalesced together and made this centaur, which is a mixture between very different bodies that underwent separate formation pathways. It challenges our ideas about how primordial objects are created and stored in the Kuiper Belt.\u201d<\/p>\n

Persisting Unanswered Questions (For Now)<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The reasons for Centaur 29P\u2019s bursts in brightness, and the mechanisms behind its outgassing activity through the CO and CO2<\/sub> jets, continue to be two major areas of interest that require further investigation.<\/p>\n

In the case of comets, scientists know that their jets are often driven by the outgassing of water. However, because of the centaurs\u2019 location, they are too cold for water ice to sublimate, meaning that the nature of their outgassing activity differs from comets.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe only had time to look at this object once, like a snapshot in time,\u201d said Adam McKay, a co-author of the study at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina. \u201cI\u2019d like to go back and look at Centaur 29P over a much longer period of time. Do the jets always have that orientation? Is there perhaps another carbon monoxide jet that turns on at a different point in the rotation period? Looking at these jets over time would give us much better insights into what is driving these outbursts.\u201d<\/p>\n

The team is hopeful that as they increase their understanding of Centaur 29P, they can apply the same techniques to other centaurs. By improving the astronomical community\u2019s collective knowledge of centaurs, we can simultaneously better our understanding on the formation and evolution of our solar system.<\/p>\n

These findings have been published in Nature<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The observations were taken as part of General Observer program 2416<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The James Webb Space Telescope is the world\u2019s premier space science observatory. Webb is solving mysteries in our solar system, looking beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probing the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it. Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and CSA (Canadian Space Agency).<\/em><\/p>\n

Downloads<\/h2>\n

Right click any image to save it or open a larger version<\/strong> in a new tab\/window via the browser\u2019s popup menu.<\/p>\n

View\/Download all image products at all resolutions<\/a><\/strong> for this article from the Space Telescope Science Institute.<\/p>\n

View\/Download the research results<\/strong> from Nature<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Media Contacts<\/h2>\n

Laura\u00a0Betz<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0laura.e.betz@nasa.gov<\/a>, Rob Gutro<\/strong> \u2013 rob.gutro@nasa.gov<\/a>
NASA\u2019s Goddard Space Flight Center<\/a>, Greenbelt, Md.<\/p>\n

Abigail Major<\/strong> \u2013 amajor@stsci.edu<\/a>, Christine Pulliam<\/strong> \u2013 cpulliam@stsci.edu<\/a>
Space Telescope Science Institute<\/a>, Baltimore, Md.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Related Information<\/h2>\n

Article: More about Solar System studies with Webb<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Webb Blog: Chariklo Ring System<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Kuiper Belt Facts<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

More Webb News<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

More Webb Images<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Webb Science Themes<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Webb Mission Page<\/a><\/strong> <\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Related For Kids<\/h2>\n

What is the Webb Telescope?<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

SpacePlace for Kids<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

En Espa\u00f1ol<\/h2>\n

Ciencia de la NASA<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

NASA en espa\u00f1ol\u00a0<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Space Place\u00a0para ni\u00f1os<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

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