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Health & Science3h 14m ago

An unidentified absorption feature was detected in both NIRSpec and MIRI spectra of Titan centered at 5.113 μm and 6-7% deep, and a similar absorption was found on Pluto.

Titan and Pluto

Who
B. Bézard, E. Lellouch, M. Camarca, J. I. Lunine, E. Quirico, C. A. Nixon, N. A. Teanby, P. Rannou, S. Rodriguez, M. Es-Sayeh, S. K. Trumbo, A. C. Souza-Feliciano, P. Lavvas, T. Bertrand, I. Wong, N. Pinilla-Alonso, G. L. Villanueva
What
An unidentified absorption feature was detected in both NIRSpec and MIRI spectra of Titan centered at 5.113 μm and 6-7% deep, and a similar absorption was found on Pluto.
When
Fri, 12 Jun 2026 17:19:03 GMT · 3h 14m ago
Where
Titan and Pluto ·
Why
This research leveraged the JWST’s high sensitivity and large spectral coverage to search for signatures from Titan’s surface in the broad 5-μm atmospheric window, and also investigated Pluto's spectrum.
The Frontline Impact

How this affects you

The discovery of an unidentified absorption feature on Titan and Pluto provides new data about the chemical composition of these celestial bodies' surfaces, but its specific origin remains unknown despite being observed by the powerful James Webb Space Telescope.

Story chain

2 events in this thread
  1. Currently Reading3h 14m ago
    An unidentified absorption feature was detected in both NIRSpec and MIRI spectra of Titan centered at 5.113 μm and 6-7% deep, and a similar absorption was found on Pluto.
  2. Health & Science3h 14m ago
    An unidentified absorption feature was detected at 5.11 μm on the surface of Titan and Pluto using JWST spectroscopy.
    Open article

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