James Webb Space Telescope Feed Post

Webb Makes First Detection of Crucial Carbon Molecule (Orion Bar NIRCam Image)

This image taken by Webb’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) shows a part of the Orion Nebula known as the Orion Bar. While observing the Orion Bar, Webb made the first detection ever of a crucial carbon molecule called methyl cation (pronounced cat-eye-on) in space. Carbon compounds are the foundation of life as we know it, and methyl cation (CH3+) plays an important role in forming more complex carbon-based molecules. Within this region, Webb found methyl cation inside a planet-forming disk surrounding a young star system. The disk was bombarded with UV radiation from nearby young stars. While UV radiation is typically expected to destroy complex carbon molecules, the science team believes it may actually be the source of energy necessary for methyl cation — and with it, more complex carbon molecules — to form. Ultimately, understanding how UV radiation changes the chemistry of these disks could tell us more about the origins of life. Learn more: go.nasa.gov/3Xxpc3q Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA, CSA, M. Zamani (ESA/Webb), PDRs4ALL ERS Team Image description: Billowy, multi-hued clouds fill the field of view. The scene is divided by an undulating formation running diagonally from lower left to upper right. On the left side, the clouds are various shades of blue with some translucent orange wisps throughout. On the right side, the clouds vary from bright orange-red to brown as you go from left to right. Here, there are two bright, prominent stars with eight diffraction spikes, as well as a star that appears surrounded by a jellyfish-shaped blob. Additional fainter stars are scattered across the entire image as dots. Image & Description by NASA