Astronomers have identified an enormous water reservoir surrounding a quasar located over 12 billion light-years away. This remarkable find provides unprecedented insight into the early universe, with light from the quasar originating just a few hundred million years after the Big Bang.
Unveiling a Massive Water Supply
The quasar, named APM 08279+5255, harbors a supermassive black hole at its core, weighing approximately 20 billion times the mass of our Sun. Surrounding this black hole is a water reservoir estimated to contain 140 trillion times the volume of Earth’s oceans, making it the largest and most distant water source ever discovered.
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This water exists as vapor and spans hundreds of light-years, offering clues about the composition and evolution of the early cosmos. Unlike water on Earth, this vapor is part of a hot, dense gas cloud heated by the radiation emitted by the black hole as it consumes nearby gas and dust.
Extraordinary Environment of Quasars
Quasars are among the brightest and most energetic objects in the universe, found at the centers of distant galaxies. These luminous phenomena are powered by supermassive black holes that generate intense heat and radiation while consuming surrounding matter. APM 08279+5255, for instance, produces energy equivalent to a thousand trillion suns, making it a beacon of scientific interest.
The unique environment of this quasar enabled astronomers to detect water molecules at such a vast distance for the first time. “The environment surrounding this quasar is extraordinary, as it’s generating a significant amount of water,” explained Matt Bradford, a NASA scientist involved in the research.
Early Building Blocks of Life
The discovery is significant because it demonstrates that water, an essential building block of life, was present in the universe’s infancy. The water vapor within the quasar’s gas cloud plays a vital role in star and galaxy formation by cooling surrounding gas and enabling it to collapse into stars.
Scientists also detected other molecules, such as carbon monoxide, in the gas cloud. These findings suggest a rich chemical environment that could eventually fuel further black hole growth or contribute to the formation of new stars.
Unique Cosmic Conditions
While sparse by Earth standards, the water vapor is unusually warm and dense compared to similar regions in the Milky Way. The gas temperature is around -63°F (-53°C), with a density 300 trillion times lower than Earth’s atmosphere, yet hundreds of times denser than typical intergalactic gas.
This warm, dense gas indicates that the quasar’s intense radiation keeps its surroundings in a state conducive to molecular complexity, shedding light on conditions that prevailed in the early universe.
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This discovery highlights the availability of life’s essential elements in the universe’s early days. It also deepens our understanding of galaxy formation, the distribution of matter, and the role of quasars in shaping cosmic evolution. “This suggests that water has been present even in the universe’s earliest moments,” Bradford noted, highlighting the significance of this discovery.