The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has made many new discoveries since it began its mission last year. JWST, the most powerful space telescope ever built, has now revealed the presence of water in a nearby system.
Water vapor discovered in a nearby star system
Astronomers have detected water vapor in a cloud of dust around a nearby star. The young planetary system known as PDS 70 is 370 light-years from our earth. The star at the center of this system, about 5.4 million years old, is considerably cooler than our sun. The star is surrounded by two gas giant planets.
Within the system, two distinct disks of gas and dust surround the star. The inner and outer disks are separated by 8 billion kilometers, while the gas giants are also located in this gap. Scientists recently revealed that PDS 70b in this system may be sharing its orbit with another planet.
Scientists, who have recently turned their attention to the PDS 70 system, detected a water vapor signature in the inner disk, at a distance of less than 160 million kilometers from the star, via the James Webb telescope’s Mid-Infrared Instrument. Astronomers believe that PDS 70 may eventually host small, rocky planets similar to our solar system.
Astronomers are quite surprised to discover water vapor near the star, given its age. We can say that PDS 70 is relatively old for a planet-forming star. Water had never been detected before in a planet-forming disk in this era. With the latest findings, the question of water and life in space has flared up again.
Scientists say that if a planet forms in the inner disk, it can also contain water. However, it has not yet been explained how this water withstands the radiation generated by the star. Time will tell if this star will actually form a habitable planet.
Since water is generally accepted as a source of life, the presence of water on the new planets to be formed is of great importance. Do you think finding water in space is enough for life? You can share your views with us in the comments section.
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