We explore the latest discovery made by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), which observed two dwarf planets in the Kuiper Belt, Eris and Makemake, and found evidence of geothermal activity within their icy surfaces.

We explain how the JWST detected methane on the surfaces of Eris and Makemake, what the methane reveals about the internal processes of these worlds, and what the implications are for the future exploration of the Kuiper Belt.

We also provide some background information on the JWST, the Kuiper Belt, and the dwarf planets Eris and Makemake. This discovery is amazing, because it shows that the Kuiper Belt is more diverse and dynamic than we thought, and that there may be liquid water and organic molecules beneath the ice, which are key ingredients for life as we know it.