One of humanity’s best telescopes, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), recently spied on Charon — the largest moon of Pluto, which is the reigning king of trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) that got overthrown from its planet status in 2006.
NASA’s New Horizons space probe flew by Pluto and Charon back in 2015. But there were still many questions unanswered about the former planet and its moon. Now, a study published Tuesday describes JWST’s newest findings: A special instrument on the telescope found evidence that Charon contains hydrogen peroxide, likely formed as the Sun sprayed energetic particles, in the form of solar wind, and ultraviolet light onto Charon’s ice-rich surface. Cosmic rays, which rained down from other corners of the Milky Way galaxy, seem to have broken up Charon’s ice.
