The molecule Webb discovered is called methyl cation (pronounced cat-eye-on). Carbon compounds are the foundation of life as we know it, and methyl cation (CH3+) plays an important role in forming more complex carbon-based molecules.

Here’s a closer look (bottom right) at the star system where methyl cation was found. Its planet-forming disk was bombarded with UV radiation from nearby young stars, radiation typically expected to destroy complex carbon molecules.

However, scientists believe the radiation may have been the source of energy necessary for methyl cation — and with it, more complex carbon molecules — to form. Understanding how UV radiation changes the chemistry of these disks could tell us more about the origins of life.