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Discovery by JWST

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) found significant amounts of carbon dioxide ice on the surface of Uranus’ moon Ariel.

Location of CO2 Ice

The carbon dioxide ice was discovered on the “trailing hemisphere” of Ariel, which always faces away from the moon’s direction of orbital motion.

Unexpected Findings

The presence of CO2 ice is surprising because carbon dioxide typically turns to gas and is lost to space, especially in the frigid reaches of the Uranian system, which is 20 times farther from the sun than Earth.

Study Publication

These findings were published on July 24 in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, highlighting Ariel’s geologically young landforms and a surface composition rich in CO2 ice.

Uncertain Origins

The origin of the carbon dioxide and other species on Ariel remains uncertain, according to the study.

Thick CO2 Ice Deposits

The study indicates that thick CO2 ice deposits and potential carbonates on both hemispheres suggest some carbon oxides might be sourced from Ariel’s interior.

Research Team’s Observation

Led by Richard Cartwright from Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, the research team noted that carbon monoxide, which needs temperatures as low as 30 Kelvin to be stable, was also detected.

Carbon Dioxide-Rich Deposits

According to Cartwright, Ariel has some of the most carbon dioxide-rich deposits in the solar system, which was a surprising discovery.

Potential Carbonate Minerals

The presence of carbonate minerals, which form when liquid water reacts with rocks, suggests that Ariel’s surface might have interacted with liquid water. This hypothesis needs further confirmation through future observations and modelling.