Building starts, planets and the ingredients of life in space
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Thousands of planets have been discovered around stars other than our Sun. But how do these exo-planets form, and why are they so different from those in our own solar system? Which ingredients are available to build them? Thanks to powerful new telescopes, including the James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers can now zoom in to planetary construction sites and study their composition. Water and a surprisingly rich variety of organic materials are found near forming stars, including simple sugars, ethers and alcohols. Can they form the basis for life elsewhere in the universe?
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