NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has detected water and oxygen-rich silicate dust surrounding IRS 3, a star near the end of its life cycle. The observation, captured on August 11, 2026, marks the first time water has been identified in the dust envelope around this star.
Webb’s mid-infrared data revealed the clear signature of the silicate dust and water. IRS 3 is located within a brilliant concentration of stars. The team responsible for the discovery includes F. Peißker, J. Lu, F. Yusef-Zadeh, N. B. Sabha, and C. Chan.
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