Story perspectives

ALMA Detects Carbon Monoxide, Suggests Ice-Rich Uranus Interior

6/20/2026

Summary

Story summary

Thibault Cavalié's team detected carbon monoxide in Uranus's lower atmosphere using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array.
Observations occurred three times between 2022 and 2024.
Modeling indicated only ice-rich interiors could match the carbon monoxide levels, implying Uranus may hold more water ice than thought.
Vanesa Ramirez cautioned that chemistry and mixing uncertainties keep the data from fixing Uranus's rock-to-ice ratio, linking the upper-atmosphere carbon monoxide to a centuries-old comet impact.

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Story summary

Thibault Cavalié's team detected carbon monoxide in Uranus's lower atmosphere using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array.
Observations occurred three times between 2022 and 2024.
Modeling indicated only ice-rich interiors could match the carbon monoxide levels, implying Uranus may hold more water ice than thought.
Vanesa Ramirez cautioned that chemistry and mixing uncertainties keep the data from fixing Uranus's rock-to-ice ratio, linking the upper-atmosphere carbon monoxide to a centuries-old comet impact.