New research suggests that water, essential for life, may have formed just 100 million years after the Big Bang. Scientists recreated explosions of early stars and found that the means to make water were already present. The first stars were made of hydrogen and helium, and their explosive deaths released oxygen into the Universe. These early stars were hard to detect, but new data may have revealed evidence of them. In the aftermath of the star explosions, gases cooled and oxygen collided with hydrogen, creating water. These denser regions of supernova leftovers could also be the birthplaces of future stars and planets. Scientists believe that these early galaxies may have produced almost as much water as our galaxy today, showing that this crucial ingredient for life was abundant in the past. The research was published in Nature Astronomy.
Vocabulary List:
- Essential /ɪˈsɛnʃəl/ (adjective): Absolutely necessary; extremely important.
- Explosions /ɪkˈsploʊʒənz/ (noun): Sudden and violent releases of energy and matter.
- Abundant /əˈbʌndənt/ (adjective): Existing or available in large quantities; plentiful.
- Evidence /ˈɛvɪdəns/ (noun): The available body of facts or information indicating whether a belief or proposition is true or valid.
- Supernova /ˈsuːpərˌnoʊvə/ (noun): A star that explodes at the end of its life cycle resulting in a sudden increase in brightness.
- Aftermath /ˈæftərˌmæθ/ (noun): The period immediately following a significant event especially a destructive one.
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