The universe’s largest water reservoir, 140 trillion times the water in Earth's oceans, found near a supermassive black hole:
Astronomers have discovered an enormous reservoir of water vapor near the quasar APM 08279+5255, located over 12 billion light-years away.
This cosmic water supply contains 140 trillion times the water found in Earth’s oceans and 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.
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.
This breakthrough was achieved using advanced telescopes in Hawaii, California, and France, offering an extraordinary window into the cosmos’ earliest chapters.
Astronomers have discovered an enormous reservoir of water vapor near the quasar APM 08279+5255, located over 12 billion light-years away.
This cosmic water supply contains 140 trillion times the water found in Earth’s oceans and 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.
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.
This breakthrough was achieved using advanced telescopes in Hawaii, California, and France, offering an extraordinary window into the cosmos’ earliest chapters.
