Webb Telescope Detects Dust and Water Near Milky Way's Supermassive Black Hole

Using the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers have discovered that dust and water can form and survive surprisingly close to Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way galaxy. Observations of the evolved star IRS 3, located just 0.55 light-years from the black hole, revealed clear signatures of oxygen-rich dust and, for the first time, water in its surrounding envelope. This finding indicates that even in extreme environments near supermassive black holes, evolved stars can still produce materials crucial for future star and planet formation.