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James Webb Telescope Finds Rare Cosmic Dust in One of the Universe’s Most Primitive Galaxies

James Webb Telescope Finds Rare Cosmic Dust in One of the Universe’s Most Primitive Galaxies

NASA’s James Webb Telescope has detected an Early-Universe Analog’s capability to produce dust. The Iron and Silicone carbide have been detected in the Sextans A.

Written by Gadgets 360 Staff | Updated: 11 January 2026 19:00 IST

James Webb Telescope Finds Rare Cosmic Dust in One of the Universe’s Most Primitive Galaxies

Photo Credit: NASA

NASA’s James Webb Telescope found rare dust in galaxy Sextans A, shedding light on early planet-building

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Highlights

Hubble discovers starless dark-matter cloud Cloud 9 near M94 galaxy
Presence of Iron and Silicone carbide has been confirmed
Tiny pockets of complex organic molecules were found in dwarf galaxy

Astronomers have discovered two rare kinds of dust in one of the most chemically primitive galaxies, i.e., Sextans A, near the Milky Way using NASA's James Webb Space Telescope. The scientists detected iron and silicon carbide, accompanied by small clusters of carbon-based molecules, which exemplifies the star's capability of creating dust grains. This research by NASA's Webb Telescope, is reshaping the ideologies that surface around the evolution of galaxies in the Universe and how the building blocks for planets were developed.

Understanding Sextans A and How The Star Forge Dust Without Usual Ingredients

According to the study published in the Astrophysical Journey, Sextans A is located about 4-million light years away and barely contains 3-7 percent of the Sun's metallicity. With such low gravity, the chances of producing elements by the stars are next to zero. However, what the James Webb Telescope observed was beyond imagination. The aging asymptotic giant branch (AGB) star showed different results, where one star produced dust made with iron, while another one showed dust evolved out of silicone carbide. Such results identified that the stars could use alternative recipes available within the universe to create dust.

Astronomers Measure Mass and Distance of a Rogue Planet for the First Time in History

Discovering the Tiny Clumps of Organic Molecules

Additionally, the companion study suggested that the telescope imaged Sextans A's interstellar medium and detected the presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). These smallest dust grains, carbon-based molecules made the Sextans A, the lowest-metalicity galaxy to ever exist containing PAHs. Furthermore, the research also proved that the existence of the PAHs and their formation can only be commenced within the metal-starved galaxies, but only, if protected under the dense gas.

This discovery by James Webb Space Telescope challenged the established methods and proved that the Early universe was way beyond the imagination.

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Further reading: NASA, James Webb Telescope, GALAXY