Water might have formed long before galaxies

Water is everywhere. It flows through our planet, drifts in space, and might have shaped galaxies long before Earth even existed. The question of when and where the first water molecules formed has been debated for many years.

The prevailing theory was that water emerged relatively late in cosmic history. However, a new study challenges this assumption.

Published in the journal Nature Astronomy, the research suggests that water may have formed just 100–200 million years after the Big Bang. If true, this means that water was not just a byproduct of later cosmic evolution but an early ingredient in the universe’s story.

Water’s essential ingredients

For something so common, water has a surprisingly complex origin. It consists of hydrogen and oxygen – two elements with very different creation processes.

Hydrogen was born in the Big Bang alongside helium and lithium. Oxygen, however, came much later, forged in the fiery cores of stars or released during violent supernova explosions.

Without oxygen, water could not exist. That simple fact has made it difficult to pinpoint when the first water molecules formed. The assumption was that oxygen needed time to accumulate in significant amounts, delaying water’s emergence.

But what if that wasn’t the case? What if the universe had the right conditions for water far earlier than anyone expected?

Supernovae as cosmic factories

To investigate this possibility, researcher Daniel Whalen and his team turned to computer simulations. They modeled two types of supernovae: one from a star 13 times the mass of the sun and another from a colossal star 200 times as massive.

These simulations helped track what happened to the elements produced in these stellar explosions.

The findings were striking. The smaller supernova generated about 0.051 solar masses of oxygen. The larger one? A staggering 55 solar masses of oxygen. These explosions didn’t just scatter elements into space; they may have triggered the very process that led to the birth of water.

Water forms in the aftermath

As the expelled oxygen cooled, it mixed with hydrogen lingering from the explosions. Water molecules began to take shape in dense pockets of gas. These clumps weren’t just lifeless debris – they may have been key sites for star and planet formation.

In the smaller supernova scenario, the amount of water that formed ranged from one hundred millionth to one millionth of a solar mass, taking about 30 to 90 million years to accumulate. In the larger simulation, water formed much more rapidly.

Just 3 million years after the explosion, around 0.001 solar masses of water had already materialized.

Could water survive galaxy birth?

Galaxies don’t form gently. They are chaotic, turbulent structures born from immense gravitational forces pulling gas and dust together. This raises an important question – could water molecules survive this violent process?

If so, water may have played a crucial role in shaping the earliest planetary systems. It might not have been an outsider introduced later in cosmic history but an intrinsic part of the universe’s foundation.

The authors of the study propose that if these early water molecules endured, they could have been incorporated into planets billions of years ago.

Rethinking water’s cosmic timeline

This discovery has profound implications. If water formed just a few hundred million years after the Big Bang, then it was present during the earliest stages of planetary development. That means habitable environments could have emerged far earlier than we thought.

The presence of water in such ancient times raises new questions about the conditions necessary for life. If water-rich planets formed much earlier in cosmic history, then the possibility of extraterrestrial life becomes even more intriguing.

Did life-friendly worlds exist for billions of years before Earth? Could ancient planets, now long gone, have once harbored life?

Role of supernovae in water formation

One thing is clear – supernovae did more than create the heavy elements needed for planets and stars. They may have actively contributed to the formation of water itself.

These massive stellar explosions didn’t just mark the end of a star’s life; they shaped the universe’s chemistry in ways that scientists are only beginning to understand.

By dispersing oxygen into space and allowing it to mix with hydrogen, supernovae set the stage for water to become a fundamental part of the cosmos. Instead of being a latecomer, water may have been present during some of the universe’s most crucial moments.

Mystery of water formation in space

The story of water isn’t just about Earth, rivers, or oceans. It is a cosmic story – a tale of explosions, creation, and endurance. The idea that water formed so early challenges our understanding of planetary evolution and forces us to rethink where, and when, life-friendly conditions could have emerged.

Future research will refine these ideas, using advanced simulations and telescope observations to track water’s journey through space. If scientists confirm that early water molecules survived the formation of galaxies, it could rewrite our understanding of the universe’s history.

The search for water has always been tied to the search for life. But as this study shows, water’s own story is just as fascinating – one that stretches back almost to the beginning of time itself.

The study is published in the journal Nature Astronomy.

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