NASA has just discovered the largest water reservoir in space, equivalent to 140 trillion times the amount of water in the world’s seas.

Water is a crucial element for life as we know it, but how prevalent is it in the universe? Scientists have been on the hunt for water in various forms, including ice, vapor, and liquid, in different cosmic environments such as planets, moons, comets, and interstellar clouds.

One of the most surprising discoveries of water in space was made by two teams of astronomers who detected the largest and most distant reservoir of water ever found.

This reservoir surrounds a quasar, a powerful source of light and energy that is fueled by a supermassive black hole at the center of a galaxy. The quasar, named APM 08279+5255, is located over 12 billion light-years away from Earth, meaning that we see it as it was when the universe was only 1.6 billion years old. The black hole at the center of this quasar is 20 billion times more massive than the sun and produces as much energy as a thousand trillion suns.

Using radio telescopes, the scientists found water vapor in the gas around the quasar. This molecule provides information about the physical conditions and chemical composition of the gas. They discovered that the water vapor is distributed over a region spanning hundreds of light-years around the black hole, and that its mass is equivalent to 140 trillion times all the water in Earth’s oceans.

However, the water vapor in this quasar is not like the water we are familiar with on Earth. It is extremely hot and dilute, with a temperature of about -53 degrees Celsius and a density of 300 trillion times less than Earth’s atmosphere. Nonetheless, compared to other galaxies, this quasar has a very warm and dense environment that is influenced by the intense radiation and gravity of the black hole.

The scientists also measured other molecules in the gas, such as carbon monoxide, which can indicate how much gas is available to feed the black hole. They estimated that there is enough gas to sustain the black hole’s growth for another 40 million years, until it reaches six times its current size. However, some of the gas may also form new stars or be blown away by powerful winds from the quasar.

The discovery of water vapor in this quasar is remarkable for several reasons. Firstly, it shows that water is widespread throughout the universe, even at very early times when galaxies were forming and evolving. Secondly, it provides a unique insight into the physical and chemical processes that occur near supermassive black holes in the distant universe. Thirdly, it challenges our understanding of how water forms and survives in such extreme environments.

The scientists hope to find more examples of water reservoirs around quasars and other cosmic objects using current and future telescopes. By studying water in space, we can learn more about the origins and evolution of the universe, as well as the conditions necessary for life to exist.

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