Mysterious substance found on Titan & Pluto

A strange substance is hiding on the surfaces of both Pluto and Saturn’s moon Titan, and researchers aren’t sure what it is.Titan’s thick atmosphere makes it extremely difficult to study its surface, so identifying this compound may help us understand its complex chemistry.

This moon is one of the most intriguing places in the solar system to search for alien life, and figuring out its chemistry is crucial for that.Astronomers often study distant worlds using spectroscopy: analysing wavelengths of light absorbed, reflected or emitted by chemicals.Bruno Bézard and his colleagues from the Paris Observatory, using data from James Webb Space Telescope, found a narrow-wavelength band of light being absorbed by something on Titan’s surface, and the same wavelengths of light, with a broader spread, being absorbed on Pluto.On the face of it, the two worlds don’t seem alike: Pluto is much colder than Titan, it has no liquid oceans on its surface and its atmosphere is about 15,000 times less dense. But the chemistry in their atmospheres is similar.The researchers compared the spectral feature seen on both worlds with a myriad of spectra from astronomical observations and laboratory tests, representing compounds that we already know exist in Titan’s atmosphere and forms of ice that might be on both surfaces.

None of them matched.There were a few that were nearly matches, though, which could explain the mystery compound if they were modified slightly or mixed with other molecules. “We have a few candidates, but it will not be a simple compound,” says Bézard, who has plans to investigate further. “Whatever it is, it will be a surprise.”