The search for life in space is one of the greatest goals of mankind. The most important substance sought during these researches is water. Acting in line with the idea that there can be life where there is water, scientists continue their research. As a result of the researches, large amounts of water molecules were found in a distant star cluster.
Tons of water detected in a distant system in space
Working on a distant star in a dust cloud, researchers came across plenty of water in space. The star in the system called V883 Orionis is located about 1,300 light-years away. It is believed that this discovery may reveal new findings about the origins of water in our solar system.
The team of astronomers used the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), a large radio telescope in Chile, to probe the chemistry of the water in the dust cloud. Scientists participating in this research stated that water in a protoplanetary disk had never been encountered before.
Some scientists believe that water came to Earth from comets. However, it is not yet known where these comets reach the water. This new discovery could answer that question. Protoplanetary disks such as V883 Orionis are home to many different molecules, as well as accumulated dust and rocks. One of these molecules looks like water.
The team found that V883 Orionis contains at least 1,200 times more water than it contains in all of Earth’s oceans. The team plans to make further observations with the METIS instrument and the yet-to-be-built Extremely Large Telescope to better view the gaseous water in such systems.
Life as we know it is based on water. For this reason, water found in other corners of the universe shows us that life can exist elsewhere, just as it does on Earth. Do you think there is life in space, since there is water in space? You can share your views with us in the comments section.
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