Breaking the Ice: Origins of Carbon Oxides on Uranian Moons
Astronomers have used the James Webb Space Telescope to identify the origins of carbon oxides on Uranus's largest moons: Ariel, Umbriel, Titania, and Oberon. The study aims to understand the geologic history of these icy satellites, which were previously imaged by Voyager 2 but lacked detailed chemical analysis.
Why it matters
Understanding the chemical composition of moons in our solar system provides critical insights into planetary formation and the potential for geologic activity on icy bodies.
For decades, astronomers have tried to decipher the source of carbon oxides on Uranus’s largest moons from ground-based telescopes. A recent study has leveraged JWST spectroscopy and laboratory experiments to identify carbon oxides and their origins for Ariel, Umbriel, Titania, and Oberon.
Forty years ago, the Voyager 2 spacecraft flew past Uranus and its twenty-seven moons, sending back prized portraits of the planet’s large and tidally locked satellites Miranda, Ariel, Umbriel, Titania, and Oberon. These images revealed extensive valleys, smooth plains, deep canyons, and possible icy volcanic (cryovolcanic) activity across the surfaces of the icy moons — the telltale signs of intense geologic activity. While Voyager 2 could take spectacular pictures, the spacecraft was not capable of identifying the molecules and materials making up these active surfaces.
Voyager 2 images of Uranus’s six largest moons. Click to enlarge. [ NASA / JPL-Caltech / Ted Stryk ; CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 ]
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