OREANDA-NEWS  An international team of scientists has published a scientific paper that reveals the mystery of the emergence of water on young planets, including Earth and Mars. The research results are published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.

The specialists combined the data obtained by the Herschel infrared space telescope, which was launched in 2009 and operated until 2013. The device carried an HIFI device, which made it possible to trace water molecules in interstellar space.

The scientists concluded that most of the water forms as ice on tiny dust particles in the cold and thin interstellar clouds. When the cloud collapses to form a star and a protoplanetary disk, water is largely retained in pebble-sized particles that become the material for planetary formation. In general, many planetary systems have enough water to fill several thousand oceans.

Hot water vapor, which is clearly visible and forms in large quantities near forming stars, is lost due to radiation, but cold vapor remains in the system, condenses on rock particles and grows layer by layer, forming large ice bodies.