JWST Detects Methane Atmosphere on Dwarf Planet Makemake — First Atmospheric Detection

A Southwest Research Institute-led team using NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has detected methane gas on the dwarf planet Makemake, marking the first confirmed atmospheric detection for the world. The finding alters interpretations of volatile retention and surface–atmosphere interactions on distant small bodies.

Discovered 2025-09-09T10:37:51.258151-07:00 | 2025-09-09T10:37:51.258151-07:00

Briefing

What Hype is tracking

  • Confirms JWST's capability to detect and characterize atmospheres on a wide range of targets, extending atmospheric spectroscopy beyond exoplanets to distant small bodies — see JWST's first atmospheric spectra for TRAPPIST‑1e.
  • Demonstrates JWST sensitivity to volatile outgassing and minor‑body composition, complementing its detection of CO2 outgassing on interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, and provides new empirical constraints for models of volatile evolution on cold, distant worlds.

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news.ssbcrack.com Space Daily Universe Today Phys.org
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4
First Seen
2025-09-09T10:37:51.258151-07:00
Latest Update
2025-09-13T02:24:49.769619-07:00
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Space

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