The quasar, known as APM 08279+5255, is located in a young galaxy and is powered by a supermassive black hole emitting intense radiation. Photo credit: Nasa Images/Shutterstock
Astronomers have identified a massive cloud of water vapor surrounding a distant quasar, marking the largest single reservoir of water ever detected in the universe. The discovery reveals a region containing roughly 140 trillion times the volume of all Earth’s oceans, orbiting a supermassive black hole some 12 billion light-years from Earth.
The quasar, known as APM 08279+5255, is located in a young galaxy and is powered by a supermassive black hole emitting intense radiation. Observations of the water vapor were made using a combination of space-based telescopes and ground observatories, allowing astronomers to measure both the amount of water present and its extent across hundreds of light-years.
What is a quasar?
A quasar is one of the most luminous and energetic objects in the universe. At the centre of a galaxy, a supermassive black hole pulls in gas and dust, forming an accretion disk. The friction and gravitational energy heat the disk to extremely high temperatures, causing it to emit enormous amounts of light, X-rays, and other radiation.
Quasars can outshine the combined light of all the stars in their host galaxy, making them visible across billions of light-years. They are often found in young or distant galaxies, providing astronomers with insight into the early universe and galaxy formation. In the case of APM 08279+5255, the intense energy from the quasar illuminates and heats the surrounding gas, allowing scientists to detect the spectral signatures of water vapor across vast cosmic distances.
Evidence of water in the early universe
Water in the early cosmos
This detection shows that water was present in the early universe, roughly 1.5 billion years after the Big Bang. Scientists note that the presence of such a massive galactic reservoir so far from Earth indicates that the ingredients for water, including hydrogen and oxygen, were abundant and widespread even in the universe’s formative years.
The discovery supports the idea that water has been a common component of galaxies since early cosmic history, and it may have played a role in shaping the growth and evolution of galaxies. While this water exists as vapor dispersed in gas around the quasar rather than in oceans or liquid form, its scale is unprecedented.
Scientific methodology
How the discovery was made
Astronomers detected the water using spectroscopy, a technique that analyses the light emitted or absorbed by atoms and molecules. The signatures of water vapor were identified in the far-infrared and sub-millimeter wavelengths, allowing researchers to estimate the total water content and the physical conditions of the gas.
The research was led by teams at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, combining observations from instruments capable of detecting distant, faint signals from early galaxies. Measuring water vapor around APM 08279+5255 represents a significant technical achievement due to the quasar’s extreme distance and luminosity, which can easily obscure surrounding material.
Implications for understanding the cosmos
By revealing such a vast quantity of water in the early universe, the findings help scientists understand how galaxies formed and evolved. Water is a key molecule in interstellar chemistry, contributing to the formation of stars and planetary systems. Studying these reservoirs can provide clues about how elements essential for life were distributed across the cosmos.
Although this water exists in gas form rather than oceans, the comparison with Earth’s total ocean volume helps convey the immense scale of cosmic structures and the potential for similar water-rich environments in other galaxies.
Key points of the discovery
- Astronomers detected the largest known water reservoir around quasar APM 08279+5255
- The cloud contains approximately 140 trillion times the water of Earth’s oceans
- Water exists as vapor dispersed across hundreds of light-years in the galaxy
- The discovery shows that water was present in the early universe, 12 billion light-years away
- Observations were conducted using spectroscopy and combined space- and ground-based telescopes
Cosmic significance
What this means for future research
The finding provides crucial evidence that water has existed since near the beginning of cosmic history and is a widespread component of galaxies. Scientists hope that further observations of similar distant quasars will reveal more about the distribution of water in early galaxies and help refine models of galaxy formation and evolution.
The discovery also underscores the potential for complex molecules in the early universe, raising questions about the environments that may eventually lead to habitable systems. While APM 08279+5255 is not a candidate for life as we know it, the sheer scale of its water reservoir challenges scientists to rethink how the universe’s earliest galaxies developed.
As technology advances, astronomers anticipate that more detailed maps of cosmic water reservoirs will provide a clearer picture of the universe’s chemical evolution and its potential for supporting life in the distant future.
