James Webb Telescope precisely located water vapors – indiansupdate.com
For years, scientists have been fervently searching for life-sustaining liquid water beyond Earth. Now, a groundbreaking discovery has been made using the James Webb Space Telescope, which detected water vapors in a distant star system. This finding suggests that the presence of water and planetary formation might have occurred simultaneously.
The solar system in issue, PDS 70, is 370 light years distant and is formed up of an inner as well as an outer disc of dust and gas. Two gas giant planets have been observed within the gap between these disks. The James Webb Telescope precisely located water vapors emanating from the PDS 70 star system, approximately 160 million kilometers away from the star itself. This region could potentially serve as an area where Earth-like planets could form, provided the right conditions exist.
The discovery’s significance lies in finding water in the terrestrial region of the disk, where multiple other planets are situated. Remarkably, this is the first time water has been detected in the terrestrial region of a disk showing signs of ‘early planets,’ similar to Earth’s early stages of planet formation. Understanding water distribution in planetary systems is crucial as it could offer insights into the potential existence of life on planets beyond Earth.
Two hypotheses for the existence of liquid vapour in the disc have been presented by scientists. It could have formed from the combination of oxygen and hydrogen atoms, or it may have originated from ice particles in the disk system, transported from a cooler region to a warmer one where they converted into vapors.
One puzzling aspect for scientists is how water vapor can endure such proximity to the star’s intense ultraviolet rays without breaking apart. Researchers suggest that a layer of dust surrounding the water vapor acts as protection, enabling it to withstand the destructive effects of radiation. The study’s complete findings were recently released by the scientific journal Environment. This discovery opens up new possibilities for exploring the potential habitability of distant star systems and their planets.