New research has revealed where Earth’s water actually came from—and what it means for finding life on other planets.
Scientists from the University of Oxford say most of our water didn’t arrive via asteroids but was part of Earth’s original building blocks.
They studied a rare meteorite found in Antarctica that matches early Earth material and discovered it was rich in hydrogen, a key ingredient for water.
Using powerful X-ray techniques, they confirmed this hydrogen was part of the rock before it landed on Earth.
The findings suggest that water could form naturally during planet formation, raising hopes that life-supporting water may be common across the universe.