Washington, D.C., NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has captured groundbreaking evidence of a moon-forming disk surrounding a massive planet outside our solar system, offering new insights into how moons may emerge around distant worlds.

The discovery centers on exoplanet PDS 70c, a gas giant located about 370 light-years away in the constellation Centaurus. Using Webb’s powerful infrared instruments, scientists observed a swirling disk of dust and gas—precisely the kind of environment where moons are believed to form.

This marks the first confirmed detection of a circumplanetary disk using Webb, and it builds on earlier observations from ALMA and other telescopes. Researchers say the data could help explain how planetary systems evolve and how Earth-like moons might arise in other parts of the galaxy.

The findings also demonstrate Webb’s unique ability to peer into young star systems and capture fine details that were previously beyond reach.