James Webb Space Telescope deciphers the origins of Pluto’s icy moon Charon | Space

Using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), astronomers have detected carbon dioxide and hydrogen peroxide on the frozen surface of Pluto’s largest moon, Charon. Detecting these molecules could tell scientists how Charon and other icy bodies at the solar system’s edge were born.

Since its discovery in 1978, Charon has been extensively studied — but previous research has been limited in terms of what wavelengths of light could be explored during these analyses. That left gaps in our understanding of the surface composition of this moon of Pluto. As a result, though scientists have detected water ice, ammonia-bearing species and organic compounds on Charon, carbon dioxide and hydrogen peroxide have evaded detection. Until now, that is.