A team of scientists has made a unique discovery, the first of its kind, that could change our understanding of the universe forever, as they discovered water in an unexpected place, shocking the scientific community.
An article about this amazing discovery was recently published in the journal The Planetary Science JournalAnd we tell you everything you need to know about it, so if you are interested in knowing what is behind this invention, we invite you to continue reading this article, because we will tell you all the details about it below.
A group of scientists a few days ago Southwest Research Institute Unveiling a unique discovery for astronomy, one of the least trusted places in the universe, an asteroid surface, has never been discovered before and could change our understanding of it. The distribution of water in the solar system and how it can reach Earth.
As mentioned in A Official statementTo achieve this discovery, the scientists used data from the now-defunct Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) program of NASA and the German Space Agency, and began studying four asteroids rich in silicates. In particular, they used an instrument called “FORCAST” capable of detecting and generating infrared spectra to identify chemical substances.
In this way, when performing the analysis, FORCAST showed that in these two asteroids, Iris and Masalia, the wavelengths were detected without doubt for molecular water. mentioned in the studyThis is the first discovery of water in these remnants of the planet-forming process in space.
How water is found on asteroids, scientists indicate There are three possibilities in the study, water molecules are adsorbed on silicate surfaces; Silicate is trapped or dissolved in impact glass
Finally, as to why this discovery is important for astronomy, we must take into account that water is essential for life, and that meteorites challenge the process of planet formation in space, which the follow-up of this discovery will shed light on. Understanding the distribution of water since the formation of the Solar System and how water got to Earth, how water reaches other habitable planets and the search for life is very possible in our Solar System and beyond.
To know more about the study, see: Detection of molecular H2O in nominally anhydrous asteroids, The Planetary Science Journal.
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