Scientists detected frozen organic molecules in distant galaxy by Webb Telescope

Scientists detected frozen organic molecules in distant galaxy by Webb Telescope (Image: NASA/CXC/Penn State Univ./L. Townsley)

Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have discovered complex organic molecules frozen in ice around a young star in the Large Magellanic Cloud. This marks the first time such life-related compounds have been detected beyond the Milky Way galaxy.

Discovery in Deep Space

The molecules were detected in the icey material that is around ST6, a young protostar in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), a dwarf galaxy that is 160,000 light-years away. It contains ethanol, acetaldehyde and acetic acid. These has not been previously detected in interstellar ice.

The People Behind the Breakthrough

The international research team led by Marta Sewiolo of NASA Goddard Space Flight Centre and the University of Maryland applied the mid-infrared spectrometry of JWST. They were assembled to detect the distinctive absorption patterns of these molecules in the frozen dust.

Significance of this Research

These molecules are said to be prebiotic, i.e. they can form amino acids and sugars-the important components of life. Their existence in a high-radiation, metal-poor environment, such as the LMC, indicates that the chemical precursors of life are likely to be common throughout the universe.

The high-quality instruments of JWST allowed scientists to detect the infrared emission of these molecules. The theory of grain is based on surface chemistry, in which these molecules are built on icy dust grains. This icy dust formation is a universal process, even in the extreme conditions of a galaxy.

Looking to the Stars Ahead

The scientists will examine additional protostars in LMC. This research will be conducted to establish whether this chemistry is prevalent or not. The findings could reshape our understanding of how and where life might emerge in the cosmos.