Published in Icarus · View the paper (DOI)
A recent study challenges previous notions about the evolutionary path of Kuiper Belt Objects (KBOs), suggesting they can retain their original volatile ices for billions of years. This discovery could help explain phenomena like comet outburst activity, potentially changing our understanding of comets.
Coverage from 2 institutions
- Study reveals ancient ice may still exist in distant space objects SETI Institute · Mar 14, 2024 · first to report
- Distant ‘space snowman’ unlocks mystery of how some dormant deep space objects become ‘ice bombs’ Brown University · Mar 27, 2024