140 trillion times than Earth: PROOF that ancient universe was awash with water
Water has existed in the universe since its early years. This has been proved by a quasar 12 billion light years away, where the biggest water reservoir ever found in space resides. However, the water here isn't exactly in the shape one would hope for.
Largest water reservoir in universe discovered
Astronomers have discovered the largest and most distant water reservoir in the universe. The finding was made in a quasar named APM 08279+5255 that sits 12 billion light years away. A light-year is approximately six trillion miles. According to a study published in 2011 in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, this water in space is 140 trillion times the water on all of Earth.
This water doesn't flow freely
This water isn’t just packed at the core but resides in a gaseous region that extends hundreds of light-years around the central black hole. It isn't free-flowing like the water found on Earth, but exists in the form of vapour.
This water sits in a chilly yet warm environment in space
The findings were confirmed by another group of researchers who used a 33-foot telescope known as the "Z-Spec" to study the quasar. This reservoir sits in a highly unusual environment: it's about –81.4 °F (around –63 °C), which is noticeably warmer than typical galactic interstellar environments.
Earth is not the only place where water exists
Despite being in such a cold environment, the water vapour is incredibly dense, being up to 100 times denser than similar regions elsewhere in the universe. In contrast, water in our solar system exists either in the form of liquid or ice. Scientists have discovered over the years that Earth is not the only place where water is present.
Jupiter's moon Europa has water in the form of ice
Jupiter's moon Europa contains water in the form of ice, while Saturn's moon Enceladus has an icy surface which hides a subsurface ocean. Europa has an induced magnetic field, observed by the Galileo spacecraft, which can only be explained by a conductive layer beneath the surface ice, in this case, saltwater.
Enceladus has a subsurface ocean
Cassini’s gravity and libration measurements confirmed that Enceladus also hides a subsurface ocean beneath its icy shell. It has a global liquid water ocean beneath the crust.
Proof that water has been present in the universe since the beginning
Seeing a quasar from 12 billion light years away means that what we are seeing is coming from an ancient universe, only 1.6 billion years after the Big Bang. This means that this water reservoir existed at that time, and that water was present throughout the universe from the very beginning.
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