Webb Telescope Discovers Key Ingredients for Habitable Worlds in Space

Complex organic molecules found around young protostars could be crucial for the formation of life-supporting planets.

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has identified key ingredients for potentially habitable worlds around two young protostars, IRAS 2A and IRAS 23385.
The identified compounds include complex organic molecules like ethanol and likely acetic acid, crucial for the formation of habitable planets.
This discovery sheds light on the origin of complex organic molecules in space, suggesting they form in ices on the surfaces of cold dust grains.
The findings also suggest these icy compounds can be transported to planet-forming disks, potentially delivering the ingredients for life to flourish.
The research, part of the JOYS+ program, has been accepted for publication in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.