Webb Telescope Captures Rare Glimpse of Moon Formation Around Distant Planet
GREENBELT,MD – The James Webb Space Telescope has observed a planet-forming disk with enough material to potentially birth multiple moons,offering an unprecedented look at the processes that create these celestial bodies.This discovery provides critical insights into how moons form, not just in our solar system, but around planets throughout the universe.
Scientists are utilizing Webb to study these disks around young planets to understand the diversity of their physical and chemical properties. “We’re trying to understand how it all works,” said team member Cugno. “How do these moons come to be? What are their ingredients? What physical processes are at play, and over what timescales? Webb allows us to witness the drama of moon formation and investigate these questions observationally for the first time.”
The observation focuses on a massive planet surrounded by a significant disk of gas and dust – the raw materials for moon creation. By examining similar objects in the coming year through a comprehensive survey (https://www.stsci.edu/jwst/science-execution/program-information?id=7538), researchers aim to determine the range of conditions under which moons can form.
Understanding moon formation is challenging because the process is largely obscured in our own solar system, where moons have already formed.Studying these distant systems, still actively building moons, offers a unique prospect to test existing theories and refine our understanding of planetary system evolution.webb’s capabilities allow scientists to analyze the composition and structure of these disks, revealing clues about the ingredients and mechanisms driving moon formation.
the James webb Space Telescope is an international program lead by NASA in partnership with the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). It is designed to solve mysteries in our solar system, explore distant worlds around other stars, and investigate the origins of the universe.
More information about the Webb Telescope is available at: https://science.nasa.gov/webb.
Read more: https://science.nasa.gov/missions/webb/nasas-webb-finds-planet-forming-disks-lived-longer-in-early-universe/
Explore more: https://viewspace.org/interactives/unveiling_invisible_universe/detecting_other_worlds/direct_imaging
Explore more: https://science.nasa.gov/asset/webb/how-to-study-exoplanets-webb-and-challenges/
Read more: https://science.nasa.gov/mission/webb/science-overview/science-explainers/webbs-star-formation-discoveries/
More Webb News: https://science.nasa.gov/mission/webb/latestnews/
More Webb Images: https://science.nasa.gov/mission/webb/multimedia/images/
Webb Science Themes: https://science.nasa.gov/mission/webb/science-overview/
Webb Mission Page: https://science.nasa.gov/mission/webb/
What is the Webb Telescope?: https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/james-webb-space-telescope/en/
SpacePlace for Kids: https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/
