James Webb Space Telescope Reveals Surprises About Objects Beyond Neptune

Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope and Hubble Space Telescope have conducted the most sensitive study to date of Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs), discovering 27 new icy bodies beyond Neptune, some as small as six miles wide. The findings, published in The Astronomical Journal, challenge previous assumptions about the collisional evolution of these tiny bodies, as the data show only a slight increase in smaller objects rather than the expected grinding into shards over time. This census provides new insights into early planet formation.