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Could ‘Snow white’ dwarf planet have water and gas?

A dwarf planet first seen in 2007 has been found to have a surface half-covered in water ice that once flowed from ancient slush-spewing volcanoes.

The red-tinged planet – nicknamed Snow White – may also have had a methane-based atmosphere. Researchers believe that atmosphere is now slowly being leeched into space.

If the presence of a methane atmosphere is confirmed, Snow White will be one of only two dwarf planets discovered that have a methane-rich atmosphere and water ice at its surface.

Read more at California Institute of Technology

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