Astronomers have finally solved a long-standing mystery about how planets form in the early universe, thanks to observations from the newly launched James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).
The discovery focuses on the star cluster NGC 346, located 210,000 light-years away in the constellation Tucana. JWST images revealed signs that planet-forming disks existed around stars for a longer period than previously thought – approximately 20 million to 30 million years.
This contradicts previous theories that such disks could only survive for 10 million years. The observations provide crucial evidence supporting an alternative explanation: that the lack of heavier elements, necessary for planet formation, might actually slow down a star’s ability to disperse its planet-forming disk – allowing planets more time to form.
Another theory suggests that the initial gas cloud from which a star forms might be larger, resulting in a more massive and longer-lived disk. The James Webb Space Telescope has confirmed this possibility using unprecedented sensitivity and resolution provided by its Near Infrared Spectrograph and Mid-Infrared Instrument.
Source: https://www.livescience.com/space/astronomy/space-photo-of-the-week-james-webb-and-hubble-telescopes-unite-to-solve-impossible-planet-mystery