Reshaping our understanding of extraterrestrial chemistry, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has unearthed a cosmic cocktail of ingredients essential for life’s formation. Recent observations unveiled a surprising array of icy compounds surrounding young protostars IRAS 2A and IRAS 23385, including familiar substances like ethanol, and possibly acetic acid.
This revelation, made possible by Webb’s Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI), highlights the foundations of potentially habitable worlds, where conditions might be suitable for life.
As per NASA, “MIRI was developed through a 50-50 partnership between NASA and ESA. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory led the US efforts for MIRI, and a multinational consortium of European astronomical institutes contributes for ESA.”
Astronomers speculate that these complex organic molecules (COMs) likely originated from icy materials undergoing sublimation, transitioning directly from the solid to the gas phase. The detection of COMs within ices raises hopes for unraveling the genesis of larger molecules in space.
Moreover, simpler compounds such as formic acid, methane, formaldehyde, and sulfur dioxide were also identified, hinting at potential parallels to early Earth’s chemistry. Notably, sulfur-containing compounds like sulfur dioxide may have played a pivotal role in driving metabolic reactions on our primitive planet.
“All of these molecules can become part of comets and asteroids and eventually new planetary systems when the icy material is transported inward to the planet-forming disk as the protostellar system evolves,” said one of the coordinators of the science program at Leiden University, Ewine van Dishoeck.
“We look forward to following this astrochemical trail step-by-step with more Webb data in the coming years.”
The study, conducted under the James Webb Observations of Young ProtoStars (JOYS+) program, pays tribute to Harold Linnartz, a valued team member whose contributions were integral to the project. He passed away in December 2023.
(With inputs from agencies)
Shambhu Kumar is a science communicator, making complex scientific topics accessible to all. His articles explore breakthroughs in various scientific disciplines, from space exploration to cutting-edge research.
