CNN —Astronomers have detected water vapor swirling close to a nearby star — indicating that the planets forming around it might someday be able to support life. Water vapor mysteryAstronomers were surprised to discover water vapor near the star given its age. The presence of water vapor suggests the planets could contain water in some form. Webb's Mid-Infrared Instrument detected emission lines from water vapor in the inner disk around the star. The research team plans to observe the system with Webb more in the future to reveal additional secrets as a planetary system takes shape.

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Persons: Olmsted, Webb, “, ”, Giulia Perotti, Max Planck, Rens Waters, Thomas Henning Organizations: CNN —, NASA, ESA, CSA, J, Max, Max Planck Institute, Astronomy, Radboud University Locations: Heidelberg, Germany, Netherlands