Scientists find ‘missing link’ in search for where our water came from

Astronomers have discovered the “missing link” that is helping scientists work out why water appeared in our solar system.

It all started when a young star, called V883 Orionis, was spied down a telescope in northern Chile.

This star, scientists realised, was surrounded by a planet-forming disk with clouds of gas and dust that were made when it was born, bringing about water.

It is demonstrated in this animation, which shows the extension of the clouds.

This allowed the team to trace water’s journey from the gas clouds, realising that water has been in our system before the sun.

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