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Friday, October 16, 2026 · UTC
Missions & Exploration

Webb identifies mineral signatures of colliding planetary embryos

James Webb Space Telescope observations have resolved two distinct classes of debris disks around young stellar systems.

Senior Space Correspondent
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The James Webb Space Telescope has observed 21 extreme debris disks, young stellar systems that show signs of violent collisions matching those that formed the Moon [6]. Mid-infrared readings from the telescope found two distinct mineralogical categories among the disks [3].