Astronomers believe they've detected an atmosphere around a tiny, icy world beyond Pluto
By Marcia Dunn
Published on May 4, 2026.
Astronomers have detected an atmosphere around a tiny, icy world beyond Pluto, believed to be the solar system's smallest object yet with a clearly detected global atmosphere bound by gravity. The discovery may have been made by volcanic eruptions or a comet strike. Researchers used three telescopes in Japan to observe the object in 2024 as it passed in front of a background star, briefly dimming the starlight. The finding offers new insight into our solar system’s farthest, coldest objects in the Kuiper Belt. Further observations could verify the atmosphere's composition.
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