Pluto's nitrogen-rich atmosphere may contain a thin layer of carbon monoxide, according to Emmanuel Lellouch at the Observatory of Paris and his colleagues.
The surface of the dwarf planet (pictured) is known to be covered mostly by nitrogen ice, but questions remain about its atmosphere. The researchers confirmed the presence of gaseous methane and found evidence for carbon monoxide at concentrations of about 0.6% and 0.05%, respectively. They observed the absorption of light that is characteristic of the molecules using a European Southern Observatory telescope in Cerro Paranal, Chile.
On the basis of modelling work, the team proposes that the carbon monoxide is concentrated either in a thin layer in Pluto's atmosphere, or, less likely, in pure patches covering 0.2–1.2% of the surface.
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Carbon monoxide on Pluto. Nature 473, 423 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/473423d
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/473423d
