James Webb Telescope Uncovers Carbon-Rich Protoplanetary Disks Around Tiny Stars

New findings suggest that very low-mass stars host unique chemical environments, influencing the formation of rocky planets.

The James Webb Space Telescope detected a variety of hydrocarbons in the disk around a very low-mass star, ISO-ChaI 147.
These disks are carbon-rich but lack oxygen-bearing molecules like water and carbon dioxide.
Such chemical compositions could lead to the formation of rocky planets with atmospheres different from Earth's.
Very low-mass stars, more common than sun-like stars, may host the majority of terrestrial planets in the galaxy.
Future research will expand the study to more disks around low-mass stars to understand the prevalence of these environments.