Researchers have confirmed the presence of crystalline water in space for the first time in human history! The James Webb Space Telescope has discovered crystalline water ice in a dusty debris disk orbiting the Sun-like star HD 181327, located 155 light-years away. Researchers used NIRSpec (Near-Infrared Spectrograph) (a super-sensitive instrument designed to detect faint dust particles from space) for this discovery.
NASA’s retired Spitzer Space Telescope hinted at the possibility of frozen water in the same system back in 2008; however, it lacked the sensitivity to confirm the discovery. Now, Webb has not only confirmed the presence of water ice but also revealed that it is mixed with fine dust particles throughout the debris disk, forming what scientists describe as tiny “dirty snowballs.”
The Webb Telescope revealed that water ice is most abundant in the cold outer regions of the disk, where over 20% of the material is ice. Webb detected about 8% water ice in the middle region of the disk. Almost no water ice was found in the inner region of the disk, likely due to ultraviolet radiation from the star vaporizing the ice or its entrapment within planetesimals.
The star HD 181327 is relatively young at 23 million years old and is slightly more massive and hotter than our Sun, resulting in a larger surrounding system. The discovery of crystalline water ice around this young star can help scientists better understand how planets form and how water might be delivered to rocky worlds.
Crystalline water ice has also been found in Saturn’s rings and the Kuiper Belt in our solar system and is considered a key ingredient in the formation of giant planets. Thus, the large gaps between the star HD 181327 and its debris disk suggest that the system may be shaped by an emerging planet or is still in the early stages of its evolution.
These findings were originally published in a recent article by NASA. Read Here.
