The solar system is home to eight planets that we all know and our star, able to give us life. But dwarf planets are also found, as well as Pluto. An astrophysical union that dictates the criteria for considering a planet as such, added Ceres, Humea, Eris and Makemake. Well, there could be life in these two.
Where are Eris and Makemake located?
Besides Ceres, The rest of the dwarf planets are located beyond the orbit of Neptune, i.e. in the outer zone of our system. That place is known as Kuiper belt. This place is inhabited by millions upon millions of rocky bodies that could harbor habitable worlds still undiscovered. There is the home of Eris and Makemake.
Based on the observations he made @NASAWebb space telescope, traces of monodeuterated methane (CHD) were discovered on the surfaces of two dwarf planets named Eris and Makemake, comparable in size to Pluto and its moon Charon. A duo drifting in the Kuiper belt shows that it has pic.twitter.com/1cQRzKzZbQ
— Maurizio Iβλἄ (@Dragonmaurizio) February 22, 2024
Eris is only 44 kilometers smaller than Pluto. However, it is 25% more massive due to the higher concentration of rock in its core. On the other hand, I would like toit was discovered two months after Eris and turns out to be smaller and with a radius of 1163 kilometers.
The news is that both Eris as Makemake could be geologically active, just like Pluto. That means they could host oceans underground and clearly if there is water there can be life. Scientists from the Space Sciences Division of the Southwest Research Institute in Texas came to this conclusion.
Methane is the key
In 2015, after discovering that Pluto had gigantic frozen volcanoes and finally volcanic activity, A similar study was done with Eris and Makemake. Data provided by James Webb for the study indicated that these two were as well geologically active and? They contained gases on the frozen surface.
A new discovery by researchers at the Southwest Research Institute reveals that the dwarf planets Eris and Makemake, located in the Kuiper Belt, could be geologically active… and not so cold! pic.twitter.com/GSpVzo5sRd
Geologist in trouble (@geologoenapuros) February 19, 2024
The James Webb Telescope is able to capture images of places that were previously inaccessible, and its instruments are even able to recognize the different isotopes of atoms that make up individual chemicals. thanks to him, They found that the most noticeable gas is methane. Within this group gases distinguished two: abiotic and thermogenic.
Main The difference between them is the amount of hydrogen and deuterium in their molecules.. According to Christopher Glein, a geochemist and research coordinator, the ratio of hydrogen to deuterium opens a window into the bedrock of both planets. total, Eris and Makemake could have potential sources of liquid water beneath their icy surfaces.
Will there be life far from the Sun?
These findings are increasing the possibility of finding a life away from Satl. It is important to note that this work is based on a number of assumptions and approximations and cannot be taken as definitive fact. The possibility of water within Eris and Makemake will be the subject of study in the coming years. A promising new trend that leads us to think that there could be life on planets far from our star.
The Kuiper Belt is proving to be much more “alive” in terms of hosting dynamical worlds than originally thought. It’s not too early to start thinking about sending a spacecraft to fly past one of these bodies. and to place James Webb’s data in an accurate geological context.
Link to news:
Christopher R. Glein. et al Mean D/H ratios in methane ice on Eris and Makemake as evidence for hydrothermal or metamorphic processes in their interiors: A geochemical analysis. Icarus (2024).
