Water Reservoir in the Universe

[MikeLigalig.com]

Astronomers found the largest water reservoir in the universe — it holds 140 trillion times the water in Earth's oceans.


The enormous reservoir of water vapor was found near the quasar APM 08279+5255, located over 12 billion light-years away.


This cosmic water supply surrounds a supermassive black hole 20 billion times the mass of our Sun. The quasar, which radiates energy equivalent to a thousand trillion suns, offers a glimpse into the conditions of the early universe.


The discovery highlights the presence of water vapor billions of years ago, suggesting that life's building blocks have existed for much of the universe's history. Ultimately, the region around the quasar is far denser and warmer than typical galactic environments, providing key insights into how galaxies, black holes, and stars formed and evolved.


Learn more: https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/2041-8205/738/1/L6/meta