A Tiny, Icy World Beyond Pluto Could Have An Atmosphere That Makes No Sense

Everyone’s favourite demoted planet, Pluto, may be shielding a mystery that’s baffled scientists. 

An icy body beyond the dwarf planet seems to have an atmosphere that shouldn’t be there, according to a paper published in Nature Astronomy.

The object should be too small to have an atmosphere

At just 500km across, the object, catchily named (612533) 2002 XV_93, ought to be too tiny to have any atmosphere at all. 

That’s p...