A fascinating young planetary system in the Milky Way recently revealed the presence of water vapor. The James Webb Space Telescope detected water's molecular signature in the extended disk of dust and gas surrounding the star PDS 70, where Earth-like worlds are anticipated to form.
According to Science Alert, this discovery holds the potential to provide insights into Earth's formation and the origin of its water, while also shedding light on the development of other potentially habitable planets in the galaxy.
JWST Detects Water in a Baby Planetary System
The origin of water on Earth remains uncertain, with one theory suggesting it was delivered by water-bearing asteroids during the planet's early stages. However, recent evidence challenges this idea, indicating that water may have been present in the Solar System when Earth formed and was incorporated into its structure.
Understanding water's source on terrestrial worlds is crucial for assessing habitability potential in other parts of the galaxy, prompting astronomers to investigate further. The findings also suggest that water could be present early in planetary formation.
Giulia Perotti, an astronomer at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Germany, said in a news release that the findings might be evidence that water serves as an ingredient of rocky planets that is available at birth.
PDS 70, located 370 light-years from Earth, is a fascinating star and baby planetary system with an encircling disk where exoplanets are taking shape. At around 5.4 million years old, it is relatively advanced for a protoplanetary disk and has two gas giants orbiting the star, alongside other intriguing features like a potential moon-forming disk and co-orbital dust cloud.
Given the system's uniqueness, researchers led by Perotti used the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to closely examine the disk's molecular composition at a regional level.
Previously, it was believed that the inner part of the disk, where rocky planets form, would be dry due to intense ultraviolet radiation and stellar winds. However, JWST's spectrum revealed a significant presence of water vapor, surprising scientists.
The exact origin of the water is uncertain, leaving two possibilities: it either formed in its current location, originating from the star itself within a water-rich nebula, or it accumulated from the outer regions of the disk during planetary formation.
READ ALSO: Earth's Water Older Than the Sun Astronomers Found 'Missing Link' on How It Reached the Solar System
How Did the Water Survive So Close to a Star
The water discovery prompts questions about its origin. Science Daily reported that the team proposes two scenarios: water molecules forming in place through hydrogen and oxygen combination, or ice-coated dust particles moving from the outer to the inner disk, where the ice vaporizes into water.
Moreover, it is curious how water survived so close to the star, where the intense ultraviolet light should typically break apart water molecules. The most probable explanation is that the surrounding material, including dust and other water molecules, acts as a protective shield, allowing the water in the inner disk of PDS 70 to withstand destruction.
The observations were part of the Guaranteed Time Observation program 1282. The findings of the study, titled "Water in the terrestrial planet-forming zone of the PDS 70 disk," were published in the journal Nature.
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