"James Webb Space Telescope: Unveiling the Secrets of Planet Formation and Water Distribution in the Cosmos"
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has created the first detailed 2-dimensional inventory of ice in a protoplanetary disk, providing important insights into the formation of planets and the potential for life. By observing a young star called HH 48 NE, the JWST detected the fingerprints of ammonia, cyanate, carbonyl sulfide, and heavy carbon dioxide in the form of ice. This discovery suggests that carbon monoxide ice in protoplanetary disks may be mixed with less volatile carbon dioxide and water, allowing planets with high carbon content to form closer to their stars than previously thought. The Ice Age team will continue to study other protoplanetary disks to further understand planetary compositions.