James Webb telescope observes unique asteroid-comet hybrid near Jupiter

The James Webb Space Telescope has observed the centaur 2060 Chiron, a unique space rock between Jupiter and Neptune. New findings reveal its surface contains frozen carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide, while its gas cloud has carbon dioxide and methane. These observations, published on December 18, enhance understanding of Chiron's composition and behavior. The study also detected water ice and light carbon molecules like ethane and propane for the first time on a centaur. Researchers plan to continue studying Chiron as it approaches Earth. This will help them learn more about its icy surface and how it changes over time.