James Webb telescope discovers frozen water around alien star - Live Science

The James Webb Space Telescope has detected water ice in a cold debris disk around a young star system, providing valuable insights into the formation of planets and potentially habitable worlds, according to a new study published in the journal Nature Astronomy.

Researchers using Webb's sensitive infrared instruments observed the star system HD 146520, located approximately 136 light-years from Earth. The star, similar in mass to our Sun but only about 20 million years old, is surrounded by a dusty disk of material left over from its formation—a cosmic construction zone where planets may be currently forming.

Telltale Signatures of Water Ice

"This is the first time we've been able to detect water ice in a debris disk at these distances from the star," said Dr. Isabel Rebollido, an astronomer at the Space Telescope Science Institute and lead author of the study. "Webb's infrared capabilities have given us a new window into understanding the ingredients available for planet formation."

The telescope's Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) detected the distinctive spectral signature of crystalline water ice at temperatures of approximately -170°C (-274°F) in the outer regions of the disk, between 75 and 100 astronomical units from the star—roughly twice the distance from our Sun to Pluto.

This discovery is particularly significant because water is considered essential for life as we know it, and understanding how and where water ice is distributed in young planetary systems helps scientists piece together how habitable worlds might form.

Building Blocks of Planets

"What we're seeing is essentially a snapshot of what our own solar system might have looked like about 4.5 billion years ago during its formation," explained co-author Dr. Christine Chen of the Carnegie Institution for Science. "These icy particles are the building blocks that can eventually coalesce to form comets, larger planetary bodies, and potentially even deliver water to rocky planets in the habitable zone."