Webb discovers carbon dioxide and hydrogen peroxide on Pluto's largest moon

Nasa's James Webb Space Telescope has discovered traces of carbon dioxide and hydrogen peroxide on Cheron's surface, sparking new interest in Pluto's largest moon

Nasa’s James Webb Space Telescope has for the first time identified traces of carbon dioxide and hydrogen peroxide on the surface of Pluto’s largest moon, Charon. Using the Webb Telescope, astronomers at the Southwest Research Institute in Colorado have gathered new details about the composition of the moon, which were published in the journal Nature Communications.

Previous studies conducted by Nasa, using New Horizons spacecraft, has shown that the surface of Charon is mainly composed of crystalline water ice, ammonia and some other organic materials. But because it could capture only a limited spectrum of light wavelength, the larger surface composition of the moon remained unknown.

The recent finding is significant as it sheds light on the chemical makeup of the Charon and the organic reactions happening there, leading to the evolution of its surface composition.

Though Hydrogen peroxide can be formed in several ways, scientists assume ‘contact electrification’ might have played a role here. In this, the water drops collide with a solid surface, and due to the jump of electric charges, certain reactive oxygen species are created. Pair of these species could combine to form hydrogen peroxide.

The findings could be more beneficial for the scientists if they are able to differentiate between the pristine objects (objects originally found) and the objects that have evolved over a period of time at Charon. The latest research also gives an opportunity to determine how the fundamental processes happen at such faraway places, like the impact of solar radiation.

How does the James Webb Space Telescope work?

According to Nasa, it is the ‘largest, most powerful and the most complex telescope’ ever launched into space. It is expected to study every phase of the universe, right from the big bang. But, how does it work? The answer lies in the ‘infrared properties’ of James Webb. Let's simplify it more.

It is well known that the universe is expanding. According to Einstein’s theory of relativity, the space between objects in the universe is expanding, and so does light.

So when a light travels far and far, its wave lengthens and the light becomes infrared (known as redshift). Human eyes are not able to detect these infrared lights, they are only able to capture visible light.

The James Webb Telescope, on the other side, is able to capture those infrared waves, and provide us a glimpse of the early universe. Additionally, the infrared radiation penetrates the dust cloud and allows us to see the stars forming.

The telescope is a result of inter-space agency coordination between Nasa, ESA (European Space Agency) and the Canadian Space Agency. It was launched on Dec 25, 2021 from French Guiana. After 30 days of journey, it reached its permanent home, Lagrange point 2 (L2).

Lagrange points are the gravitationally stable locations in space, where no extra force is required to keep the object. India's solar observatory mission ‘Aditya L1’ is at Lagrange point 1.

How is James Webb space telescope different from Hubble 

Unlike its predecessor, the Hubble space telescope, James Webb doesn't orbit the earth but only the sun, by remaining at a stable position relative to earth.

Also, Hubble focussed only on visible and ultraviolet (UV) light, James Webb keeps the focus on the infrared light. This allows it to detect galaxies that are very far or dusty for the Hubble space telescope to see them.