Hubble, Webb Telescopes Reveal Clues to Solar System's Distant Past

NASA reported that scientists have, for the first time, combined the observing power of its Hubble Space Telescope and James Webb Space Telescope to study Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs), a population of small bodies orbiting the sun beyond Neptune.

According to NASA, the survey identified some of the smallest and faintest TNOs ever directly detected, extending scientists' ability to observe objects in this distant region of the solar system.

The space agency said researchers were surprised to find fewer small TNOs than expected based on prior models, a result that could have implications for understanding how these objects formed and evolved over billions of years.

NASA said TNOs are considered remnants from the early solar system, and studying their sizes and distribution can help scientists reconstruct conditions from the era when the solar system's planets were forming.

The agency described the joint use of Hubble and Webb as a new approach for probing this population, leveraging Hubble's ability to detect faint objects and Webb's infrared sensitivity to characterize them further.

NASA did not specify in the released material a timeline for follow-up observations, but indicated the findings would inform future research into the outer solar system's history.