A tiny world at the edge of our solar system grew a mysterious atmosphere, and we don't know how - Space

Scientists report detection of an extremely tenuous atmosphere around a tiny, icy world located beyond Pluto, estimated to be 5 to 10 million times thinner than Earth's atmosphere, with an unclear origin. Researchers have proposed causes such as cryovolcanism or impacts, and more observations are needed to confirm and study the phenomenon. The freshly reported L 98-59 d — a molten, sulfur-rich exoplanet — highlights the unexpected range of atmospheric properties across small and distant bodies and strengthens the case for comparative studies to understand how such diverse atmospheres form and evolve.