12 Billion Light-Years away, NASA has discovered a water reservoir that is 140 trillion times more than the Earth — an amazing discovery!
NASA has made a discovery that shakes our understanding of the universe. 12 billion light-years away, a water reservoir has been found near a hyperenergetic quasar, which is 140 trillion times more than all the water present on Earth. This discovery is writing a new history, showing that water – the most important element of life – can be much more widespread than we imagined, that too in the early days of the universe.
What is this discovery?
This storehouse of water has been found near the quasar APM 08279+5255, which is a very energetic and distant astronomical object. This quasar was first detected in 2011. At the time when this quasar existed, the age of the universe was just 1.6 billion years – meaning even the Milky Way galaxy had not been formed at that time. The presence of water at such an early stage is a matter worth thinking about and astonishing for scientists.
This discovery shows that water, which we associate with life, was present in huge quantities even in the early era of the universe.
How huge is this water reservoir?
According to NASA, this water vapor reservoir is so big that it contains 140 trillion times more water than all the oceans of the Earth. Its temperature is also a surprise for you – −63°C, which is 5 times more than the average temperature of the galactic environment there. The density of this water is also 100 times more than those regions where water vapor is normally detected.
What is a Quasar?
Quasar is an object that is located in the center of a supermassive black hole and when this black hole consumes the surrounding matter, massive energy is released. This energy is in the form of light which is visible up to billions of light-years away.
APM 08279+5255 is also one such quasar near which this colossal water cloud has been found.
How was this discovery made?
This extraordinary detection was made possible through NASA’s powerful telescopes and space observatories. Scientists analyzed this massive water vapor cloud using infrared and radio waves. In the coming time, the CCAT telescope being built in Chile will help in detecting more such reservoirs.
What do scientists want to do now?
After this discovery, new research goals have been set for NASA and other space agencies:
- Mapping the distribution of water in the early universe
- Understanding the role of water in the formation of the first galaxies
- Exploring the possibility of extraterrestrial life
- Updating cosmological models that include this exact amount of water
All these objectives can open new doors in understanding the origin of our universe and the possibilities of life in it.
Can this water be the source of life?
The most interesting thing is that if there was so much water in the universe 12 billion years ago, would life have developed somewhere else in any other planet or system? Would some part of this cosmic water have reached such planets where the conditions were life-friendly?
This question is still unanswered, but this discovery gives a strong indication that essential elements like water were already existing in the early days of the universe – and perhaps, life too.
This discovery is not just an astronomical discovery, but it is a victory of human imagination and scientific curiosity. When we think that water is a priceless resource on Earth, it is astonishing to think that a treasure trove has been found in a corner of the universe that is 140 trillion times more than the total water on Earth.
This revelation not only sets the direction for our future missions, but also marks the beginning of a new era — where we will try to understand the traces of life in space, water systems, and the mysteries of galaxy formation more deeply.