NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has captured the first direct look at material within a disk encircling a massive exoplanet more than 625 light-years from Earth. This carbon-rich disk may serve as a kind of workshop where moons take shape. Because moons are thought to outnumber planets across our galaxy, and some could even host life, studying how they form is key to understanding planetary systems as a whole.

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has made the first direct measurements of the chemical makeup and physical conditions inside a possible moon-forming disk surrounding a massive exoplanet. This carbon-rich disk, found around the planet known as ‘CT Cha b’ about 625 light-years from Earth, could be a birthplace for new moons, although none were detected in the current Webb observations.