Water and a new mystery in main-belt comet stun astronomers

Astronomers have observed a rare comet in our solar system, using the James Webb Space Telescope as they stumbled upon a new cosmic mystery while making a long-sought scientific breakthrough.

Scientists have been studying the origins of Earth's abundant water and according to new observation, the chemical compound was discovered for the first time in a main belt cometor a com(et located in the main asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter).

The astronomers used various observing methods for 15 years before making the finding.

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They have detected gas - especially water vapour - near a comet in the main asteroid belt for the first time using Webb's NIRSpec (Near-Infrared Spectrograph).

It indicates that water ice from the primordial solar system can be retained in that region.But they came across a mystery as well, as unlike other comets, Comet 238P/Read had no detectable carbon dioxide.

As quoted by NASA, Stefanie Milam, who is Webb's deputy project scientist for planetary science and a co-author on the study reporting the finding, said: "Our water-soaked world, teeming with life and unique in the universe as far as we know, is something of a mystery – we're not sure how all this water got here."

"Understanding the history of water distribution in the solar system will help us to understand other planetary systems, and if they could be on their way to hosting an Earth-like planet," she added.

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Comet Read is a main belt comet, which is an object that lives in the main asteroid belt but has a halo, or coma, and tail like a comet. Comet Read was one of the first three comets used to establish the category of main belt comets, which is a relatively new classification.

Previously, it was believed that the comets live in the Kuiper Belt and Oort Cloud, beyond Neptune's orbit, where their ices might be kept away from the Sun.

Missing carbon dioxide is a mystery

Meanwhile, the absence of carbon dioxide came as a bigger surprise as it typically accounts for around 10 per cent of the volatile material in a comet that can be easily vaporised by the Sun's radiation.

Scientists think that the Comet Read may have possessed carbon dioxide when it formed, but it has since lost it due to heated temperatures.

As quoted by NASA, astronomer Michael Kelley of the University of Maryland, lead author of the study, said: "Being in the asteroid belt for a long time could do it – carbon dioxide vaporizes more easily than water ice, and could percolate out over billions of years."

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