Scientists have discovered that habitable exoplanets may have formed billions of years earlier than previously thought. According to a new study published in Nature Astronomy, water molecules began forming shortly after the first supernova explosions, which occurred before the first galaxies took shape.
The researchers found that these early supernovae, known as Population III supernovae, created dense clumps of gas enriched with water. Although the total amount of water produced was modest, it was highly concentrated in dense regions of gas, known as cloud cores, which are thought to be the birthplaces of stars and planets.
These findings suggest that the conditions necessary for the formation of life were in place much earlier than previously imagined. The study’s lead author, Daniel Whalen, notes that the early water-rich regions likely seeded the formation of planets at cosmic dawn, long before the first galaxies took shape. This implies that planetary discs rich in water could form at cosmic dawn, potentially paving the way for the creation of habitable exoplanets.
The discovery challenges our current understanding of the early Universe and provides a significant step forward in understanding the origins of life.
Source: https://www.sci.news/astronomy/primordial-universe-water-13712.html