NASA finds 'signs of life' on objects visible to the naked eye

A magical "stellar nursery" you can see in the sky on moonless nights has revealed what could be a signal of the birth of Earth-like planets.

A new statement from NASA says a new 'treasure' has just been found by the James Webb Space Telescope, the super telescope developed and operated by the agency. It is methyl cation (CH3+) , located 1,350 light years away from us: the Orion Nebula .

The Orion Nebula is one of the most beautiful objects you can see with the naked eye from Earth. It is also a rare stellar nursery that is extremely clear to the "eye" of telescopes.

The Orion Nebula and a zoomed-in image of where life might be born - (Photo: NASA/ESA/CSA).

Meanwhile, CH3+ is one of the potential signs of life that scientists have always longed to touch . Carbon compounds form the basis of all forms of life. "Therefore, the appearance of this type of carbon molecular ion is especially important" - the study on Sci-News stated.

CH3+ has the unique property of reacting with a variety of other small molecules to form complex organic compounds even in the interstellar medium.

"This CH3+ detection not only confirms the incredible sensitivity of James Webb, but also confirms the importance of CH3+ among stars," said Dr. Marie-Aline Martin from the University of Paris-Saclay (France), a member of the research team.

As the hypothesis has proven, Earth and other habitable planets also formed in environments with such wandering organic molecules.

This means that the Orion Nebula has the potential to produce habitable planets. It is the ultraviolet radiation from the red dwarf that may have triggered the creation of CH3+. The more complex chemical molecules from it would have seeded the newly formed planets.

And if early life continued to successfully fight off the harmful effects of ultraviolet light, it would emerge and thrive—possibly like Earth.

This discovery provides valuable new data about how our planet became habitable.

To find the world that holds that magic, try looking for the constellation Orion on a clear, moonless night. With its unique structure, the Orion Nebula will be dimly lit when seen with the naked eye.