LONDON (IT BOLTWISE) – New astronomical findings suggest that water on Earth may be older than the sun itself. Researchers have used a giant telescope in Chile to discover a rare form of ‘heavy water’ in a young star system. This discovery could revolutionize our understanding of the origins of water in our solar system.
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Scientists have made a remarkable discovery that could fundamentally change our understanding of the origins of water on Earth. Using the Atacama Large Millimeter Array, a gigantic telescope in Chile, a team of researchers managed to identify a rare form of ‘heavy water’ in a young star system called V883 Orionis. This discovery provides the first direct evidence that water can survive intact through an interstellar journey from molecular clouds to the materials that form planets.
The V883 Orionis system, located about 1,300 light-years from Earth, shows that the water in its planet-forming disk existed long before the star itself and survived the star’s birth. This finding suggests that much of the water in our solar system may come from ice masses that are billions of years old. Margot Leemker, the study’s lead author from the University of Milan, emphasizes that this discovery represents a significant breakthrough in understanding how water found its way into our solar system and possibly to Earth.
The researchers focused on discovering a rare form of “heavy water” known as doubly deuterated water, which contains two atoms of deuterium, a heavier version of hydrogen. The measurements showed that the amount of this molecule in the disk of V883 Orionis is high compared to normal water and simply deuterated water. This suggests that the water was not destroyed and later reformed in the disk, but rather that the ice in that disk was inherited.
This discovery could also explain how the ingredients for life behave in these environments. While other chemicals in V883 Orionis’ disk appear to be affected by heat or radiation, the water remains unaffected. This stability may be one reason why water is such a good carrier for life’s raw materials, even under hostile conditions that would destroy other molecules.
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