In a significant scientific achievement, astronomers utilized the James Webb Space Telescope to observe a rare comet within our solar system, unraveling a long-awaited breakthrough while also stumbling upon an intriguing mystery.

For the very first time, the presence of water has been detected in a main belt comet—an extraordinary finding considering these comets reside within the main asteroid belt, situated between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.

Astronomers have pursued this discovery for 15 years, employing various observation techniques in their endeavors, CNN reported.

The space observatory successfully identified water vapor surrounding Comet Read, indicating that water ice can endure even within the relatively warmer regions of our solar system.

The detailed findings of this study have been published in the esteemed journal Nature, shedding new light on our understanding of cometary composition and behavior.

Written by staff