The glorious guts of a dying star are the means by which astronomers are hoping to discover the very earliest origins of how our planet was born.

In the midst of the Butterfly Nebula NGC 6302 , located some 3,400 light-years from Earth in the southern constellation of Scorpius, astronomers have found compelling evidence of dust crystallizing as it cools from hot gas.

"For years, scientists have debated how cosmic dust forms in space. But now, with the help of the powerful James Webb Space Telescope, we may finally have a clearer picture," says astrophysicist Mikako Matsuura of Cardiff University in the UK.

"We were able to see both cool gemstones formed in calm, long-lasting zones and fiery grime created in violent, fast-moving parts of space, all within a single object. This discov

See Full Page