dubbed IRAS 09371+1212 as the "Frosty Leo Nebula" because of their interpretation of the object's extremely unusual far infrared spectrum that water is largely depleted in its gaseous state by ice condensation into grains and for its location in the Leo constellation.
IRAS 09371+1212 was designated as the "Frosty Leo Nebula" by researchers because of their understanding of the object's extremely cold infrared spectrum, which suggested that water is mostly in a solid state due to condensation into ice grains and its location in the Leo constellation.