Overview

• NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has made the first definitive detection of crystalline water ice outside our Solar System, around the star HD 181327.
• The ice resides in the star's debris disk, where frequent collisions release icy particles mixed with dust, forming 'dirty snowballs.'
• This finding confirms hints from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope in 2008 and demonstrates Webb's advanced spectral capabilities.
• The discovery mirrors processes observed in our own Kuiper Belt, linking the early evolution of HD 181327 to the Solar System's formation.
• Researchers aim to expand surveys to other star systems, exploring water ice's role in planetary system development and volatile delivery.