Protoplanetary disc XUE 1 (MIRI emission spectrum: 4.95–5.15 microns)

This graphic presents some of the first results from the eXtreme UV Environments (XUE) James Webb Space Telescope programme. These results suggest that the conditions for rocky-planet formation, typically found in the discs of low-mass star-forming regions, can also occur in massive-star-forming regions and possibly a broader range of environments.

Astronomers focussed on rocky-planet-forming regions of discs in the Lobster Nebula using Webb’s Medium Resolution Spectrometer (MRS) of the Mid-InfraRed Instrument (MIRI). This first result focuses on the protoplanetary disc termed XUE 1, which is located in the star cluster Pismis 24.

This graphic features the observed signatures of carbon monoxide spanning 4.95 to 5.15 microns

[Image description: Graphic titled “XUE 1 Irradiated Protoplanetary Disc, MIRI Medium -Resolution Spectroscopy” shows a graph of brightness versus wavelength from 4.95 to 5.15 microns, with carbon monoxide peaks highlighted.]