Webb telescope detects universe’s most distant organic molecules in a dust-rich galaxy

An international team of astronomers has detected complex organic molecules in the most distant galaxy to date using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope.

The dust-rich galaxy is more than 12 billion light-years away from Earth.

The discovery of the molecules, which are familiar on Earth in smoke, soot and smog, demonstrates the power of Webb to help understand the complex chemistry that goes hand-in-hand with the birth of new stars even in the earliest periods of the universe’s history. At least for galaxies, the new findings cast doubt on the old adage that where there’s smoke, there’s fire.

Read more from Texas A&M University press release: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/991524