JWST Sheds New Light on the Origins of the Solar System

In a breakthrough that could reshape our understanding of the early solar system, researchers from the University of Central Florida (UCF) and their collaborators have unveiled new insights into the composition and history of distant icy worlds beyond Neptune. Using the powerful James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the team discovered surprising traces of methanol ice on Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs), offering a fresh glimpse into the primordial materials that shaped our cosmic neighborhood.

Methanol: A Chemical Time Capsule in Space

The study, published in The Astronomical Journal Letters, identified two distinct groups of TNOs based on their surface methanol content. One group showed a depleted amount of methanol ice on the surface but potentially larger reservoirs below, while the second—located even farther from the Sun—had weaker overall methanol signatures.

The researchers suggest that cosmic irradiation over billions of years likely transformed the chemical makeup of these distant objects. Methanol, a simple alcohol previously found on comets, is a crucial ingredient in prebiotic chemistry. When exposed to radiation, it can morph into more complex organic compounds, including precursors to sugars and other biomolecules.

“This research helps us piece together the early chemical history of the solar system,” explains Noemí Pinilla-Alonso, research professor at UCF and now based at the University of Oviedo in Spain. “Methanol isn’t just a leftover relic — it’s a witness to billions of years of cosmic evolution.”

Revealing the Origins of Ancient Icy Worlds

What makes TNOs so valuable to planetary scientists is their status as time capsules. These icy bodies are remnants of the original protoplanetary disk — the swirling cloud of gas and dust from which our Sun and planets formed. Because TNOs have remained relatively untouched for billions of years, they preserve valuable clues about the conditions of the early solar system.

The research was part of UCF’s Discovering the Surface Compositions of Trans-Neptunian Objects (DiSCo) program, a collaborative initiative to classify and study these remote objects. UCF Florida Space Institute Associate Professor Ana Carolina de Souza-Feliciano played a key role in combining laboratory data and modeling to interpret the methanol signals observed by JWST.

One of the most intriguing findings came from what researchers nicknamed the “cliff group” — a spectral category where reflectance levels drop off after around 3.3 microns. This group includes so-called cold-classical TNOs, objects believed to have stayed in the same region of the solar system since their formation.

“These are the only dynamic group of TNOs that have likely remained in place since the birth of the solar system,” says de Souza-Feliciano. “They offer an unparalleled window into the past.”

A Milestone for Future Solar System Exploration

According to Rosario Brunetto, lead researcher from Université Paris-Saclay, the discoveries will provide critical baselines for interpreting future JWST observations of other remote objects — including Neptune Trojans, Centaurs, and asteroids. The research not only deepens our understanding of chemical processes in the outer solar system but also has implications for the study of exoplanets, where methanol and methane influence atmospheric chemistry and the potential for habitability.

“This work reshapes how we view the composition and evolution of these ancient icy worlds,” says Brunetto. “It also fuels curiosity and inspires future generations to continue unraveling the mysteries of the cosmos.”