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Astronomers stunned as James Webb finds a planet nursery flooded with carbon dioxide

Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have uncovered a planet-forming disk shockingly rich in carbon dioxide but nearly devoid of water, upending traditional theories of planetary chemistry. Found in a harsh star-forming region flooded with radiation, the discovery hints that cosmic environments may drastically reshape the ingredients that shape planets. The unexpected isotopic fingerprints of CO2 could even help solve mysteries about the origins of meteorites and comets in our own Solar System.

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