NASAのインスタグラム(nasa) - 3月10日 09時01分

Water is crucial for life, but how do you make water?

A molecular cloud is an interstellar cloud of dust, gas, and a variety of molecules. Molecular clouds hold most of the water in the universe, and serve as nurseries for newborn stars and their planets. Within these clouds, on the surfaces of tiny dust grains, hydrogen atoms link with oxygen to form water. Carbon joins with hydrogen to make methane. Nitrogen bonds with hydrogen to create ammonia. All of these molecules stick to the surface of dust specks, accumulating icy layers over millions of years. The result is a vast collection of “snowflakes” that are swept up by infant planets, delivering materials needed for life as we know it.

Once launched, our Webb Space Telescope (@nasawebb) will peer into these cosmic clouds of dust, gas and molecules to gain new insights into the origin and evolution of water and other key building blocks for habitable planets.

Pictured here is blue light from a newborn star lighting up the reflection nebula IC 2631. This nebula is part of the Chamaeleon star-forming region, which Webb Space Telescope will study to learn more about the formation of water and other cosmic ices.

Credits: European Southern Observatory (ESO)

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