NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope's MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) has identified a wealth of complex, carbon-containing (organic) molecules surrounding two protostars. This graphic shows the spectrum of one of the two protostars, IRAS 2A. It includes the fingerprints of acetaldehyde, ethanol, methylformate, and likely acetic acid, in the solid phase. These and other molecules detected there by Webb represent key ingredients for making potentially habitable worlds.
Credits
Illustration
NASA, ESA, CSA, Leah Hustak (STScI)
