Scientists have made an intriguing discovery regarding the origins of the Solar System’s water.
A young star named V883 Orionis, located 1,300 light-years from Earth, has been observed with a disk of material around it that will eventually coalesce into orbiting planets. Scientists have detected water vapor in this disk alongside the other gas and dust that will become part of a new world.
This finding suggests that the water present on Earth and other planets in the Solar System was present in the gaseous cradle from which the Sun was born. In other words, water was present before the formation of the Sun itself and played an essential role in the growth of planets.
According to astronomer John Tobin of the US National Radio Astronomy Observatory, this discovery implies that the origins of water in the Solar System can be traced back to before the formation of the Sun. While water is common throughout the Universe, it is a vital ingredient in planet formation. The collapse of dense clumps of gas and dust under gravity leads to the formation of stars, and the remaining material forms a disk that feeds into the baby star.
Planets then grow from this disk, and water is thought to play a significant role in this process. Beyond the snowline, where water vapor freezes, dust grains are coated with ice, giving them greater stickiness to help particles cling together in the initial stages of planetary growth.
The researchers studying V883 Orionis have identified the spectral signature of water vapor in the star’s disk, providing a glimpse into the building blocks of the planets.
The detection of water vapor, along with the identification of hydrogen isotope ratios, can provide valuable insights into planet formation and the origins of life in the Universe.
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