GK: How Many Years After The Big Bang Did The Universe Get Water? – News18

Last Updated:March 26, 2025, 14:23 IST

Water likely formed 10-20 million years after the Big Bang, earlier than thought. Research using supernova models suggests that water emerged from cooled oxygen and hydrogen; the by-products released by the supernova

The universe is brimming with enigmas. Science enthusiasts often ponder numerous questions about the cosmos, one of which is regarding the origin of water. Scientists have long been investigating the moment and manner in which water first came into existence.

As we know, water is deemed vital for the cosmic genesis of life. Recent models suggest that water may originate from gases comprising a mixture of metals. A significant revelation has recently been made through research.

What Did The Research Uncover?

The research indicates that water likely formed 10 to 20 million years after the Big Bang. Researchers propose that water in the universe might have emerged earlier than previously believed and could have been a substantial component of the first galaxies. This study has been published in Nature Astronomy.

The researchers utilised computer models of two supernovae: one from a star 13 times the mass of the Sun and another from a star 200 times the mass of the Sun. By analysing the by-products of these explosions, the researchers discovered that oxygen formed at 0.051 and 55 solar masses (where one solar mass equals the mass of our Sun) in the first and second simulations, respectively, owing to the exceedingly high temperatures and densities reached.

How Did Water Form?

The research further explains that as this gaseous oxygen cooled and combined with the surrounding hydrogen released by the supernova, water was created within the dense remnants of matter. These remnants could have been the sites where second-generation stars and planets formed.

The study suggests that if water endured during the formation of the first galaxies, a potentially catastrophic event, it might also have played a role in the creation of planets billions of years ago.