James Webb Space Telescope uncovers ancient organic molecules and faintest galaxy in the universe.

The James Webb Space Telescope has detected a cloud of complex organic molecules called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in a galaxy 12.3 billion light-years away, the farthest from Earth that molecules of this kind have ever been detected. The discovery might help astronomers understand how galaxies develop and how stars are formed. PAHs are believed to help regulate the temperature of gas clouds in stellar nurseries, thereby managing when and where stars develop. The discovery was made possible by gravitational lensing, which magnified the light of the distant galaxy. Further study is needed to understand why and how stars form in regions that lack PAH clouds.